• Question: What do you see in the future of Ebola medicine?

    Asked by Mary Berry to Ceri, Marikka, Matt, Rob, Sally on 13 Nov 2014.
    • Photo: Robert Hampson

      Robert Hampson answered on 13 Nov 2014:

      They are already trying new drugs to treat Ebola infections. Given that 70% of people who have caught Ebola during this outbreak have died, the normal regulations for testing and evaluation of drugs before human testing have kind of been relaxed a bit. This means many medicines which would have taken many years to get to market have been racing through many stages of development very quickly.

      However, controlling the infection through classical public health strategies is much more effective than relying on miracle cures. You don’t have to cure someone if you can stop them getting the disease in the first place!

    • Photo: Ceri Dare

      Ceri Dare answered on 13 Nov 2014:

      The best thing anyone could invent is an immunisation to stop people getting ill in the first place. Without that, we have to try hard to stop people who already have Ebola from infecting other people.

    • Photo: Sally Cutler

      Sally Cutler answered on 13 Nov 2014:

      Regarding medicines, I would say vaccination would be the way to go. Education is the best first measure to prevent risk of exposure, but if this does happen, then vaccinate. Once sypmtoms have started treatment might help survival but damage is rapidly being done to the body by this stage of infection and you may not get full recovery.

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