Ebola, A Nurse’s Perspective

Posted on by dtolar Posted in HealthTagged , ,

So a few months ago the country was enthralled with the idea of a few patients, infected with the Ebola virus, coming to the United States. Up until this point, we had been safe from Ebola due to the fact that bats can’t fly over the Atlantic. Some people were completely indifferent, while others had seen Outbreak one too many times. Most were a healthy mix, somewhere in between, but what bothered me the most was both the lack of education and the poor information that was spreading more virulently than the virus could ever hope to.

First, I want to stress that I am a nurse, not a virologist, and hopefully throughout my post you will see that I am not pretending to be one. I have a Bachelor’s in Nursing and am currently a graduate student. I have worked extensively with Infectious Disease Specialists. I have been exposed to almost every infectious disease known to the modern world. I have taken courses in Biology, Microbiology, Anatomy, Physiology, Pathophysiology, Advanced Pathophysiology, Pharmacology, and an assortment of others. However, I am not and will not pretend to be an expert, just an experienced professional. When it comes to an epidemic of any sort, my first focus is on the patient, protecting and healing them, my second focus is on protecting the community. I don’t care about which strain does what, or what we can do with in lab. As a nurse, I concern myself with the current patient and future possible patients. I feel the first thing we should examine is Ebola itself. It is foreign to the US, both literally and figuratively. What it does to people and how it harmonizes with nature are both things that most westerners have little concept of. It is a virus, not a bacteria. This means that it is not its own organism. It is actually much smaller and basic than you can imagine. It is nothing more than a few pieces of DNA/RNA and some proteins. No cell wall, no cytoplasm, no metabolic functions. This is both their advantage and their downfall. Viruses require a host. For this example I will use the HIV virus. HIV gets into the human body and invades the host’s white blood cells, T4 cells to be exact but I won’t get that involved. The proteins help get the virus into the cell and those few small sequences of DNA/RNA write themselves into the host DNA/RNA. Now instead of the white blood cell attacking invaders, it is nothing more than an HIV factory. All of its metabolic functions are redirected at producing more of the virus, which pours out of the white blood cell like a sieve until eventually the host cell dies. This is why HIV infected patients have poor immune systems. The virus re-writes the DNA of the host cells. This is not something we can stop. New viruses are pouring out of the white blood cells at a rate of millions a day. We cannot filter them out. We cannot “kill” a little chunk of DNA and we don’t know enough about the human genome to correct the DNA sequences. This is why a lot of viral infections like HIV, Herpes, and Hepatitis are life long infections. HIV invades the white blood cells, Herpes invade the nerve roots, and Hepatitis invades the liver.

Now that we have a better grasp of viruses, we will focus on Ebola a bit more. In tropical Africa, Ebola naturally lives in bats. It is nice to the bats and doesn’t cause them many issues. It is rumored that there are many viruses humans carry our entire lives and have no idea because they show zero symptoms. Therefore, they have never been studied. If this sounds crazy, just remember that it was in recent years the we discovered there was a virus behind cervical cancer. A virus that men can carry and spread without ever knowing they have it. Where the problem arises is that in tropical Africa, people like to eat bats. Sometimes they get infected with Ebola and it spreads. This process is called Zoonosis and can be true of bacteria or viruses. Racoons carry Rabies, Armadillos carry Leprosy, Birds carry the Flu, Bats carry Ebola.

When I said Westerners don’t really understand Ebola, the primary aspect that I am talking about is the patient. We don’t ever see what Ebola does. Our media is too censored, we hear how many died, and see people in haz-mat suits. Speaking of suits, we’ve all seen the pictures. Rubber gloves are adequate for AIDS and hepatitis, a simple mask (N95) stops Tuberculosis, but this requires space suits, just keep that in mind when you think its no big deal. So here is what happens when you catch Ebola, I figure you’re getting bored with reading right about now, so I’ll spice it up. First the virus gets into your system, I’ll elaborate on that later. Then, it hangs out for a few days, even up to 21, growing, multiplying at a rate of millions a day, and guess what, you’re infectious. Now at this point it would pretty much require a straight blood to blood interaction so the only real threat here is for IV drug users who share needles. Just like with the flu or hand foot and mouth disease, you can be spreading it to others before you show a symptom*(apparently not many see the *, so please read the elaboration at the bottom). Remember, nurse mind set, protect the community. At first it’s not bad, little nausea, some sweating, diarrhea, much like a stomach bug. But then the virus really starts to build up in your liver and adrenal glands, after it has saturated your blood cells, the lining of your vessel, your skin, and bones. Hepatocellular necrosis occurs, which is fancy term for your liver starts to decompose.Your liver is what regulates blood clotting. This causes your blood either clot up and turn to jelly in your veins, stay liquid and bleed profusely, or a combo of both. The adrenal glands then do the same, causing your blood pressure to drop. This requires lots of IV fluids to keep your circulating volume up. At the same time inflammatory cytokines are released which causes vascular leakage. Cells don’t do a good job of holding things together so it all becomes a bloody goop. Anywhere in your body that blood vessels are shallow, like your nose, ears, gums, throat, GI tract, urethra, vagina, rectum, all start oozing fluids and bleeding because the tissues that normally keep it contained are disintegrating. So now you bleed from every orifice, including your eyeballs. Every time someone or something touches you, your tissue gets damaged which further the cycle, so a shot in the arm can turn into a massive blood blister. Those who survive are left with massive scarring. Since the adrenals cannot keep your blood pressure up, and you are losing blood and fluids, we have to put IV fluids in to keep you out of hypovolemic shock. This in turn reduces your blood concentration, lowering your oxygen carrying capacity, which causes your heart to race. So you lay in bed, oozing fluids from everywhere, all while feeling like you just ran a marathon, with bloody diarrhea, oh and did I mention pain? Lots and lots of pain, but you can’t have any pain medicine because your liver and kidneys have failed. This why it pains me when I see this outbreak ONLY has a 50% death rate, when in Africa it is up to 90%…ONLY 50%. That is literally worse than cancer, and people are blowing it off. Imagine if cancer was infectious, and you lived in a country with zero cancer, and someone thought it would be a good idea to fly a few people in. I think there would be a different attitude.

The biggest part of the discussion is how Ebola is spread. I will say two things on the topic, no, it is not airborne, and yes, basic hygiene plays a HUGE factor. But while on the topic of whether it is or is not airborne, the definition of an airborne contagion is one that can freely float in the air, survive lengths of time, and infect someone else. VERY few things fit in this category, most have been eradicated, Small Pox, Tuberculosis, Measles. Things that are also NOT airborne, are the flu and the cold. For the flu, you have to come into direct contact with the patients body fluids. How then, do you explain why people catch it and have no idea how. Well for one, people can spread it before they show symptoms, just like Ebola, and one other HUGE factor…droplets….let that word really sink in. The virus may not be airborne, but the droplets are. I’m going to digress for a second and get back to HIV and Hepatitis, while I let droplets dwell in your mind. Everyone knows that HIV and Hepatitis are spread by blood contact, and sexual fluids, I don’t mean a drop of blood on the skin, or even a mucous membrane, it has to get INSIDE of you. This is why only gloves are required. HIV and Hepatitis are not found in urine, stool (Some forms of hepatitis are, but you have to eat the stool to get infected) saliva, sweat, tears, or mucous. This is where some viruses are different. The flu gets into your mucous and other secretions, Ebola tends to stay in the blood, but remember, every one of your bodily fluids are full of blood now. So a person with the flu sneezes, and now millions of little droplets (remember those guys?) shoot out of their nose at nearly mach 1, all across the room, same for a cough, all it takes is a little microscopic droplet to land in your eye, nose, mouth, or the unlikely scenario of an open wound, and you’ve now been infected, because you came in CONTACT with their bodily fluids. I see the word contact thrown around a lot, but most people think of mass amounts of contact with blood, but what they don’t realize is that contact also includes microscopic mucous and saliva droplets, each one chock full of Ebola. Bacteria can survive for long periods of time without a host because they are their own organism. They can feed on just about anything and be happy. Viruses lifespan without a host is much shorter. Their goal is to infect, replicate, and spread, if they cant replicate, they die. Measles only lives 2 hours. But Ebola, depending on what data you look at, can survive for several days.

So with all this information, lets have some role play, so that you can see exactly what this means, to a nurse, in the real world. Imagine it as a cheesy PSA or lifetime movie. You go to see your doctor because its that time of year, you need some blood drawn and refills of your blood pressure med. You sit patiently in the waiting room, thumbing a magazine while your 2-year-old plays with her toys. Like all two year olds, she touches everything, and everything goes in her mouth, toys, pens, her own fingers. She is a 22 lb drool factory and you love her to pieces. You see the doctor, get your goodies, and go home. A week later your angel starts vomiting blood and within 3 days she dies because her heart raced so fast it finally gave up while trying to maintain a blood pressure. Her eyes are blood red and demonic, her skin falls off in sheets. What you don’t know is that 3 days before your visit, someone thought they had the flu. It is October you see and they sneezed while thumbing through that very same magazine you thumbed through. The same thumb you grabbed her pacifier out of your purse with in the waiting room. The people caring for Ebola patients wear space suits, and burn the bodies, yet it still spreads. Here in America, we have much better protocols, and much better hygiene. So if it spreads, it will be contained much better. Still, it spreads prior to symptoms and survives will outside the body, just like the flu. Despite vaccines and good hand washing, thousands still get the flu every year. But while the flu kills 1-2% of its victims, Ebola kills 50% on a good day, and spreads the same way. So please, do not write it off as hype. It is a real thing and it is here.

The case in Dallas has been confirmed. The patient had contact with five children and adolescents prior to admission. Those five kids attend four of the largest schools in Dallas. One sneeze and we could already have thousands of people, who don’t know it yet, infected.

Thank you for reading. Please feel free to comment.

Symptoms* I have had a lot of comments in regards to this. I picked my words carefully, but I never imagined getting thousands of views an hour, or my article getting picked apart, but I will try to elaborate now. I said spread, the virus, I did not say you were contagious. What I meant by this, was the summation of two concepts. To fully explain everything I could write a book, but this is meant to be short and sweet. The first concept is that of a fomite. We have established that the virus can survive for an unspecified amount of time outside the host, and we have established that sneezing/coughing is a perfectly logical method of transmission. So if patient A is infectious/contagious, they sneeze on patient B, but then patient B goes home and picks up their sisters 1 6 month old, who rubs his face, and licks all over your shoulder, he could very well have just orally consumed large quantities of the virus, therefore become patient C. Patient B never got sick, the virus never entered their system, yet they are responsible for spreading the virus to someone else. This is why the 5 exposed kids are so important, there may only be a 2% chance or whatever that they’ll get sick, but if they went to school, and each rubbed up against  500 kids in the hallways, you now have 2500 exposed kids, 50 of which will statistically become infected, 25 of which will probably die. No I do not have a source for the 2%, that is just an EXAMPLE number used to represent the relatively low likelihood of contracting the virus if exposed, granted the R0 factor of R2 is correct. Remember, heal the patient, PROTECT the community. The second concept of this is defining “symptom”. Lets assume it means anything other than your baseline condition. That means the first signs of being contagious, are also the more mild symptoms, sneezy, achy, nausea, flu-like symptoms. So who is going to wake up, feel a little under the weather, and think, crap, I have Ebola, better get quarantined, no, THAT’S how you start fear mongering and mass panic. Again, flu season is upon us, the initial stages of Ebola are like the flu, and its human nature to be in denial, so many people, if infected, would hope its just the flu and wait it out, they are not showing symptoms indicative of Ebola, but they ARE symptomatic of something, and therefore, by the CDC definition, would be contagious. Its also normal procedure for people to be symptomatic BEFORE seeking medical care, so technically, everyone will be contagious, BEFORE knowing they have Ebola. But like I said before, I omitted this lengthy explanation because I didn’t feel it was necessary for the point of the article.

ADDENDUM: Sadly, I feel the need to point out that the title of this blog is “Ebola, A Nurse’s Perspective”, not “A Nurse’s Guide to Surviving the Apocalypse”, or “How to Become an Ebola Expert in 15 minutes”.  It could just as well be “Hamburgers, A Chef’s Perspective” and no one would be hounding me over grammar, a misplaced comma, or wanting citations as to why I say it should be on the grill 5 minutes per side of 7 minutes per side. The point is those things are irrelevant to the goal of the article, this is MY perspective (a particular attitude toward or way of regarding something; a point of view.) I don’t have to prove anything, the point of my article is to take what the uneducated (in a medical sense) journalists say, what the talking heads on TV say, and then let you know what the people say who are on the front lines. That’s like discrediting your grandads account of what happened when he stormed Normandy beach, because its not what your history teacher told you. Have I experienced Ebola first hand? Nope, have I experienced a WHOLE lot of other things that the majority of the population has not? You bet your ass I have, and I felt the need to take the time to hopefully help other people out a little. So please keep that in mind, I’m not perfect, but my experiences are my experiences, and I wanted to share them with you, to let you inside the head of a nurse for a minute.

2,089 thoughts on “Ebola, A Nurse’s Perspective”

  3. Michelle Rainey, RN's avatar
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    Michelle Rainey, RN says:

    THANK YOU for taking the time to were this up. It is exceptional andninkmow will help a lot do my friends truly understand what I could not explain.

    And forget the crap commenters…. They’ll be wishing they had listened an taken some info to heart before it’s done and over.
    I applaud you. Great piece!

    Like

  5. tiffany's avatar
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    tiffany says:

    Wow!! This article is very informative and helps us know what’s really happening. America needs to be educated on the topic because it is a cause for concern! ! Thank you spreading your knowledge with us 🙂

    Like

  6. Michelle Rainey, RN's avatar
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    Michelle Rainey, RN says:

    THANK YOU for taking the time to write this up. It is exceptional and I know it will help a lot of my friends truly understand what I could not explain.

    And forget the crap commenters…. They’ll be wishing they had listened and taken some info to heart before it’s done and over.
    I applaud you. Great piece!

    (Sorry for repost— typos out the ass!— cracked screen!)

    Like

  8. Denise's avatar
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    Denise says:

    Well said. I am an MLT of 13 yrs and i know just how this bug can spread. You have successfully scared the crap out of me, and i hope you scared others as well. This is not to be taken lightly. Be prepared to shelter in place and protect your families.

    Like

  10. Becky Prewitt Buttram's avatar
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    Becky Prewitt Buttram says:

    Thank you! This is the MOST info I have heard on the subject. I was only a first grade teacher but I TOTALLY appreciate what you said!!! I have been a hygiene freak for many years. I so wish the world had even 1st grade hygiene lessons. I am praying that it won’t spread and that EVERYONE practices SERIOUS hygiene.

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  11. Lisa Beam's avatar
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    Lisa Beam says:

    Thank you so much for the interesting and very informative read. It is a good explanation for us all but it is an especially good read for people that do not work in the medical field.
    I am a Paramedic in NC and we just got our Ebola protocols in place and our Tyvex suits are ordered and supposed to be here soon. It is very scary and I hope that we can surpass this somehow.

    Like

  13. Karen Alayne's avatar
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    Karen Alayne says:

    God have mercy on our Nation.
    Thanks for the insight into the real threat we are all dealing with.
    It’s time to demand our senators and congressmen close our borders and stop all flights from infected countries.

    Like

  14. blessedbutstressed's avatar
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    blessedbutstressed says:

    As a mother who has an immunocompromised child I am concerned. A routine trip to a specialist, therapy, etc. often leads to a cold, flu, or virus. I have put in to practice that we sanitize at offices. I’m contemplating gloves at this point, just to avoid any of the viruses and nasties out there. I’m also thinking about masks in, medical waiting rooms. That man who didn’t cover his cough is enough to make us sick. It’s scary before adding in a disease like Ebola.

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  15. Brittney RN,BSN's avatar
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    Brittney RN,BSN says:

    So the CDC claims that Ebola is not contagious until symptoms are shown but you state that it can be spread before. Which is it?

    Like

  16. Charles Pierson's avatar
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    Charles Pierson says:

    Very informative, thank you. You are correct the media is not giving all the facts for people to make informed decisions. I wish there were more informed people that the rest of us could talk to to get the information we need without being bored to tears or pummeled with words the length of a sentence.

    Like

  17. Susan NP's avatar
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    Susan NP says:

    Very well explained. I will repost this. I work in an ER, and appreciate what you are describing. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

    Like

  18. Dcowgirl's avatar
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    Dcowgirl says:

    I thank you for such informative information concerning this deadly, dreadful disease . Job well done!!!!!! Keep bringing such needed information pretaining to this disease Ebola.

    Like

  25. Heather O RN's avatar
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    Heather O RN says:

    Thank you for this!!! I’m located just a little south of Dallas in San Antonio. I have read about Ebola and other viruses in the past and thought it was funny how all of a sudden our CDC were experts. They are ever changing in their beliefs and it is very possible the virus will tweak itself to survive better here?? Who knows. Thank you for the article.

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  26. Suzanne's avatar
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    Suzanne says:

    What a informative and well written piece! Thank you so much for the “down and dirty” on Ebola! I hope many read this and get scared! This is a very real and very scary virus, not to mention Deadly! I have been a RN for 20 years and work I. County facility where we see some of the most dehabilitating disease processes out there! I hope Ebola will not be one of them. However I want to be prepared and know as much about this as possible as we medical professionals are on the front lines! Thank you again for your article!

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  27. Ruth A's avatar
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    Ruth A says:

    Thank you for putting your thoughts out there so people can get the real information on this virus. This is what the CDC should be telling the public….not that it’s nothing to worry about. I prefer to know the truth in order to protect myself and family as well as possible. I have shared this article for others to have the truth about this deadly disease.

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  32. kristina's avatar
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    kristina says:

    I’ve been nervous about this since the onset of down played news stories and have contemplated stacking up on seeds, water, batteries and canned goods for a family survival plan in a quarantine situation in case a serious out break happens, which as you mentioned isn’t far fetched and wouldn’t take long. Do you think this is likely to happen? If so how soon? Any suggestions how to function and not contract the virus? See any positive end to this..if so how? :/ I am so nervous I’m in panic. Is taking the temperature of incoming plane passengers enough.. What if they aren’t showing symptoms yet? Should we direct our complaints and demand borders and plane intake be shut down somewhere particular? Is it already upon us regardless..like you stated with all the possible people and children that were exposed and may pass this on? I know the hospitals aren’t truly prepared or knowledgeable bc they were talking about nurses wearing suits that were open in the back which clearly would not work. Do the outbreak space suits even work? What do you think the nurses did wrong who contracted the disease? I read they were initially exposed to the victims without covering up at first but who knows. Either way it’s terrifying and sad… especially when someone can merely cough, sneeze or pick up a package or magazine and spread or contract Ebola! This means visiting a dr, going to a playground, traveling or vacationing via airplane, shaking a hand, seeing a show or a movie is a life risk. If you contact by touch but don’t touch eyes or mouth and wash your hands are you still at risk? Suppose you are if you retouch an item you touched prior to washing such as keys? What should we be washing with? Alcohol, antibacterial or basic soap? Sorry for the mind rambling but I haven’t really let this out until now! Perhaps I should tuck it back in..but would love to hear what you think in response to my many questions and concerns. Thanks for the informative post.. dramatic as it may sound, it may be the difference between life and death. Stay informed everyone and be safe.

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  37. Debbie's avatar
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    Debbie says:

    This is a wonderfully written and well thought out perspective! I’ve been trying to explain some of these very points but finally decided to just share this as well!

    Like

  38. Julie Duckett R.N.'s avatar
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    Julie Duckett R.N. says:

    Thank you for taking the time to speak up about the seriousness of this virus. I think that public health depts and hospitals are preparing protocols. Priorities are (safety first) protect yourself, environment, patient & community.

    Like

  39. David's avatar
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    David says:

    What do you think about the book, “The Hot Zone” written by Richard Preston in 1994. This is where hollywood created that useless movie Outbreak. The book states that this is Airborne! And found in primates. On the border of Kenya and Uganda. Mount Elgon, in a cave called Kitum. The book shows a photo of a single Ebola Virus (the first) from October 13, 1976 taken by Frederick A. Murphy then with the CDC. I purchased this in the same year. Incredible! Please comment on my small paragraph. I really want your thoughts.

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  40. Kirsteen's avatar
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    Kirsteen says:

    Thanks for the info it explained a lot and makes me nervous about the amount of people that can spread the Ebola mess . It scares me that they haven’t closed the airports of people coming from countries that have Ebola. But I suppose they can fly into another country and then fly to the United States.

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  41. Joe's avatar
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    Joe says:

    I noticed you added an addendum. Your point seems to be to warn people of the dangers of complacency in dealing with this virus, which is laudable and I thank you for your effort. But if that is your goal, then focus on the issues of exposure in a healthcare environment and your experiences in the difficulties of treating potentially infectious patients. As for asking for citations, that is normally expected when someone begins giving information using the authority of a healthcare professional, especially when some of your claims and explanations are either exaggerated, unsubstantiated, or just plain wrong. Whining about being nit-picked and saying that the details don’t matter to your overall point is a lazy cop-out, and not one you will likely be forgiven in graduate school. This was a rather messily-written article that is a mixture of good information and poorly substantiated misinformation, but the overall goal was a good one and people seem to be responding positively to it. Though that could be because they don’t understand some of the terminology and are easily impressed by esoteric language. At the very least it will hopefully inspire people to take precautions seriously.

    Liked by 2 people

  42. Susan Rawnsley's avatar
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    Susan Rawnsley says:

    Thank you for this very useful information.I am very concerned about this becoming an epidemic here in the US.I wish our government would inform us the way you have.Do we know how long it can live on surfaces and can anything kill
    it on surfaces?I pray

    Like

  43. Sarah's avatar
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    Sarah says:

    Thanks for the truth! I’m a nurse at a hospital where nurses who were aboard the flight which the second nurse was on, work. Two of which work on my unit. Terrifying doesn’t even cover it. People are saying, an outbreak won’t happen in America because we have modern medicine! Yes, but we also have the ability to fly across the country in a couple of hours. Thereby spreading and infecting at a mass rate. This is only the beginning.

    Like

  44. Kytsora Hald's avatar
    Reply
    Kytsora Hald says:

    Thank you. I am the daughter of a nurse, and this helps a great deal. It doesn’t fully ease my fear, but it definitely helps to show people that this is not something to just ‘get over the hype’ with.

    Like

  45. Will hamilton's avatar
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    Will hamilton says:

    Thank you the goverment should have an outlook like you about this verry serious and life treating desese but this advice that you shared will deffenly be of help to me and ima share this and spread the word thank you

    Like

  46. Angel Baez Molano's avatar
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    Angel Baez Molano says:

    Hello there! Thank you for your response, and it is awesome to see people from the health care industry giving their point of view. Now I have to say if I was a health care professional I would like to know about the specifics about a pathogen. Why? Because it will determine the most effective health care protocol for the patient. Certain strains of pathogens replicate, infect and spread a little different than the other strands in its group. If your main concern is that patient’s survival, then the pathogen causing the infection should be of concern as well.

    Now let’s look at the contagious method and infectious levels. In biology the contagious factor refers as to how well can a pathogen spread, meaning how many hosts can it infects and the rate on which it spreads. The infection factor refers to how long does the virus take and the rate to which it replicates itself inside the host. The reason why Ebola does not spread while infected host are asymptomatic is because the virus has not reach infectious levels, meaning it does not have enough replicas to cause infection. Hence the virus amount present in body fluids, skin, etc is minimal and the chance of infection is very low. Note: it has been observed that many bacteria and viruses will not cause an infection in other hosts because the conditions for its reproduction or replication are not ideal. This gives the immune system a chance to fight the pathogen. There need to be a specific amount of bacterial cells or virions present to initiate reproduction or replication.

    Once the infection reach critical levels, the next step for the virus is exit the host and infect new hosts. If an asymptomatic or symptomatic ebola host touch a fomite (non biological object) without any body fluid or residue of body fluid, the fomite should not be infected. Meaning if the patient is not sweating, bleeding, sneezing,or has a bodily fluid residue on any body part the fomite should not be infected. Now when there’s body fluid present, yes the virus will survive. Not just by touching the object it will become infected, but rather the person has to have any body fluid or residue in the body part he/her touched the fomite with. How do we the common Joe and Jane know that? We don’t unless we test in a lab! Sweat and saliva tend to have less concentration of virions than the blood and other body secretions. Now portal entry of the Ebola virus is through the mucous membranes of the body: mouth, nose, eyes, maybe ears, penis or vagina, anus and cuts or open sores. Just because your uncut hand touched an infected fomite it does not grant entry, but rather touching any mucus membrane while hand still contain the particles.

    I just think this needed to be clarified, because it will shape better the understanding of infectious diseases.

    Please keep up the good work!

    Liked by 1 person

  47. Angel Baez Molano's avatar
    Reply
    Angel Baez Molano says:

    By the way this topic should be taken really seriously, and the more educated we become about Ebola, the higher chance we have to prevent it!

    Like

  48. H. Garrard's avatar
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    H. Garrard says:

    Thanks for great info! Well written and explained without the need for me to have a med. Degree. I appreciate the time you took and your willingness to share.

    Like

  50. Rebecca's avatar
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    Rebecca says:

    Thank you for writing this, it was very informative. I have a question and I apologize if it sounds stupid, but I am not medically trained so I really do not know the answer… This virus is obviously deadly, so why does it only kill 50% of the people that get it? Or maybe I should ask what I’m really thinking, how do 50% of people with Ebola survive? Is there a cure? Or is it just luck to survive it? Prior to reading this I thought it was an automatic death sentence, so now I’m a bit confused about that. Thanks again, this article was great

    Like

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