Ebola fixed.

New Topic
This topic has been archived, and won't accept reply postings.
 Dan Arkle 12 Aug 2019

A new monoclonal antibody treatment has transformed Ebola from a 70% death rate to a 90% survival rate.

What an incredible achievement of science. Similar to recent proof of success with AIDS.

And yet, for so many, accepting fairly basic levels of scientific evidence (eg vaccines) is beyond them. 

In reply to Dan Arkle:

There's no cure that will help the wilfully ignorant.

T.

1
 nathan79 12 Aug 2019
In reply to Dan Arkle:

Well I for one am thankful that the boffins on this big beautiful flat Earth sometimes get it right.

 wintertree 12 Aug 2019
In reply to Dan Arkle:

This is a pretty major Ebola outbreak and the new vaccine has surely slowed its spread significantly.  It’s quite terrifying to think what would have happened without the vaccine.  

This immune system reprogramming is meddling with forces we don’t fully understand.  

There’s no doubting that when it works it’s phenomenal - some of the stuff using retroviruses to reprogram a person’s immune system to target their specific cancer is up there with the Ebola and HIV work in terms of sheer impressiveness that was beyond science fiction not that long ago.

But when it goes wrong, it goes horribly wrong.  It’s a fast changing field and they’s more caution over the staging of clinics trials now.  Whilst I think it’s awesome that this vaccine is available to those most at-risk, I’m glad that taking it isn’t in my immediate future.

Wintertree Jr has just been for a pair of immunisation jabs.  The look of betrayal as I held them tight for the second needle to go in, and the aggressive immune response with side effects to one of the jabs - I can imagine some parents just can’t make themselves go with it out of their own lack of strength, and then jump on the anti-vax bandwagon to “rationalise” their weakness away.  It’ll be interesting to see how much “needle free” injection addresses this, although the movement now has such a critical mass of absolute shite behind it I fear it’s unstoppable.  Also how did it take until 2017 to get a real life hypospray?  http://news.mit.edu/2017/startup-needle-free-drug-injector-gets-commerciali...

Edit: Okay - I muddled some memories; reading into it, the Ebola vaccine isn’t in the activity reprogramming immune system category, but I’m still damned grateful I don’t need to take it.

Post edited at 21:07
6
 TobyA 12 Aug 2019
In reply to Dan Arkle:

Is it being used in the Eastern Congo outbreak currently?

 mik82 13 Aug 2019
In reply to wintertree:

"It’ll be interesting to see how much “needle free” injection addresses this, although the movement now has such a critical mass of absolute shite behind it I fear it’s unstoppable.  Also how did it take until 2017 to get a real life hypospray? "

This technology was actually developed in the 1940s and used extensively in the USA from the 1950s onwards. It was withdrawn due to risks of cross-infections (the devices were multi-use)

 wintertree 13 Aug 2019
In reply to mik82:

The US army technology hurt as much as a needle though - it wasn’t far removed from horrific stories about high pressure hydraulic oil injections in industrial accidents....

 veteye 13 Aug 2019
In reply to Dan Arkle:

Isn't the problem, not the potency and aggressiveness(high morbidity and high mortality of natural infection) of the infection and disease, but the ignorance of the people, and the stupidity/uncaring attitude of the war mongers, who actively attack hospitals; and also the inability to keep people contained in the way that epidemiologists would have it done?


New Topic
This topic has been archived, and won't accept reply postings.
Loading Notifications...