As the world has started to learn, Ebola is an infectious and generally fatal disease that over the past few months killed over 20,000 people throughout the World.
The disease has mostly spread across Western parts of Africa, poorer areas proving to be worst effected. On the 21st of December, it was declared that up to 8,000 people from Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Mali had died from the mass killing disease.
With the first recorded case of Ebola in Britain announced this afternoon, just how scared should we be? The short answer would be - not really. Although the disease is frighteningly deadly, it is fairly difficult to catch it.
Unlike many other deadly diseases, Ebola is transmitted through the contact of body fluids, such as, blood, vomit, saliva, semen and feces. To catch Ebola, any of the aforementioned body fluids need to come into direct contact with mucous membrane, i.e underneath eyelids, mouth or nose. As long as nobody with Ebola is licking your eyes, nostrils or mouth, it’ll be pretty difficult to catch it.
One of the main reasons that Ebola has spread so quickly in Western Africa is because of the crowded, poverty stricken areas they live throughout it. In some of the worst hit towns, there are hundreds of people living in tightly spaced streets. This meaning, that if one person catches Ebola, the persons body fluids like vomit or saliva are likely to come into contact with others more easily.
A major outbreak in the UK seems unlikely, due to the well-equipped hospitals and the amount of preparation that has happened to effectively handle diseases like this. Ebola is also proven to not be as contagious as the flu or measles. According to University lecturer Gerardd Chowell-Puente, "one person with measles can transmit the disease to as many as 18 others, whereas, Ebola can only be transmitted to around two people."
“The symptoms for Ebola are anyone or all of a headache, fever or nausea. The disease is not contagious until the symptoms are first shown. Once caught, Ebola can attack the immune system, liver, kidneys or blood vessels. The incubation periods can range 2 days - 3 weeks and the signs of illness usually show between 7 and 10 days after exposure.” added Gerardd Chowell-Puente.
With this evening’s headlines stating that a case of Ebola is being treated at Gartnavel hospital in Glasgow, local girl Chelsea June Neary said, “I’m pretty scared of Ebola if I’m honest. It’s unlikely that I’ll catch it but at the same time it’s very worrying that a disease such as Ebola that has killed so many people is just ten minutes away from my house.”
Ebola may be incredibly dangerous for the people that do catch it, however, people in the UK shouldn’t be overly worried about it spreading vigorously and if it does, the hospitals have been well prepared for a long time for an outbreak of this kind.
Article by Joseph James
The disease has mostly spread across Western parts of Africa, poorer areas proving to be worst effected. On the 21st of December, it was declared that up to 8,000 people from Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Mali had died from the mass killing disease.
With the first recorded case of Ebola in Britain announced this afternoon, just how scared should we be? The short answer would be - not really. Although the disease is frighteningly deadly, it is fairly difficult to catch it.
Unlike many other deadly diseases, Ebola is transmitted through the contact of body fluids, such as, blood, vomit, saliva, semen and feces. To catch Ebola, any of the aforementioned body fluids need to come into direct contact with mucous membrane, i.e underneath eyelids, mouth or nose. As long as nobody with Ebola is licking your eyes, nostrils or mouth, it’ll be pretty difficult to catch it.
One of the main reasons that Ebola has spread so quickly in Western Africa is because of the crowded, poverty stricken areas they live throughout it. In some of the worst hit towns, there are hundreds of people living in tightly spaced streets. This meaning, that if one person catches Ebola, the persons body fluids like vomit or saliva are likely to come into contact with others more easily.
A major outbreak in the UK seems unlikely, due to the well-equipped hospitals and the amount of preparation that has happened to effectively handle diseases like this. Ebola is also proven to not be as contagious as the flu or measles. According to University lecturer Gerardd Chowell-Puente, "one person with measles can transmit the disease to as many as 18 others, whereas, Ebola can only be transmitted to around two people."
“The symptoms for Ebola are anyone or all of a headache, fever or nausea. The disease is not contagious until the symptoms are first shown. Once caught, Ebola can attack the immune system, liver, kidneys or blood vessels. The incubation periods can range 2 days - 3 weeks and the signs of illness usually show between 7 and 10 days after exposure.” added Gerardd Chowell-Puente.
With this evening’s headlines stating that a case of Ebola is being treated at Gartnavel hospital in Glasgow, local girl Chelsea June Neary said, “I’m pretty scared of Ebola if I’m honest. It’s unlikely that I’ll catch it but at the same time it’s very worrying that a disease such as Ebola that has killed so many people is just ten minutes away from my house.”
Ebola may be incredibly dangerous for the people that do catch it, however, people in the UK shouldn’t be overly worried about it spreading vigorously and if it does, the hospitals have been well prepared for a long time for an outbreak of this kind.
Article by Joseph James