Ebola Is Not A Particularly Infectious Disease /// Tidying Up After Ebola Patients

The epidemiological math that shows how Ebola isn't as contagious as other diseases. "It boils down to something called 'R0.' The reproduction number, or 'R nought,' is a mathematical term that tells you how contagious an infectious disease is. Specifically, it's the number of people who catch the disease from one sick person, on average, in an outbreak.* Take, for example, measles. The virus is one of the most contagious diseases known to man. It's R0 sits around 18....At the other end of the spectrum are viruses like HIV and hepatitis C...between 2 and 4. They're still big problems, but they spread much more slowly than the measles. And that brings us back to Ebola. Despite its nasty reputation, the virus's R0 really isn't that impressive. It typically sits around 1.5 to 2.0." Michaeleen Doucleff in NPR.

Ebola risks in perspective. "Is it possible that we will see more cases of Ebola, either in contacts of the Dallas patient or in additional travelers who fly here from abroad? Yes. But the USA has safely treated five people with Ebola-like viruses without any mass outbreak. These deadly viruses were here, in the USA, unbeknownst to most of us, and we all survived just fine....The Ebola epidemic is heartbreaking. I've covered it for months, hoping that my stories will move people to help. Many reputable charities have been on the scene in West Africa since the first days of the outbreak in March. Americans who are concerned about Ebola should consider making a donation. People might also want to consider protecting themselves from diseases that pose far greater risks in the USA. Half of Americans skip the flu shot, even though influenza kills up to 49,000 Americans a year." Liz Szabo in USA Today.

"Shark Attacks Rise Worldwid: Risk Assessment and Aquinas' Criteria For Sin"

http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2012/02/shark-attacks-rise-worldwide-risk.html

One complication of the U.S. case: Disposing of Ebola waste at the hospital... "It's a confusing issue for state health officials, hospitals and companies charged with hauling medical waste, because federal regulations on the process contradict each other. That's why advocates for emergency preparedness are urging Texas health officials to ensure that the Dallas hospital has its own waste sterilizer on site....This step would help the hospital maintain safety while federal health and transportation officials work to reconcile the rules, advocates said. In their current form, regulations order hospitals to discard Ebola waste like any other biohazard while effectively preventing waste management companies from transporting the materials. This leaves doctors and hospital executives in a bind. " Elise Viebeck in The Hill.

...and at home — a job that no one wants to do. "Towels and sweat-ridden bedclothes remained for two days in the Dallas apartment where an undiagnosed Ebola sufferer — Liberian citizen Thomas Eric Duncan — was staying because health officials in Texas struggled to find a waste management company willing to accept them....A company with experience of dealing with medical waste was finally due to clean the apartment on Thursday afternoon, but only after the patient’s girlfriend told CNN that the materials had not been disposed of." Tom Dart and Lauren Gambino in The Guardian