Hot(zone)lanta

[tardis_stowaway]

I'm looking forward to going home to Atlanta later this month to see my family and go to DragonCon.  I have done less about cosplaying than I meant to, but we'll see what can be done in the last few weeks, and I have no problems with either sticking to old costumes or spending day out of costume.  So in the midst of my overall excitement about the upcoming con, I have had some thoughts.  You know what else is happening this month in Atlanta besides DragonCon?  Treatment of the American aid workers who came down with Ebola virus!

So, let me state at the start that I have effectively zero actual worry about any danger from the Ebola patients being brought to Atlanta for treatment.  The virus is transmitted by direct contact with bodily fluids, not magic or even the air.  With the attention of the world on them I’m sure that the doctors and nurses will be super strict with their safety protocols.  I think treating them to the US is the right thing for the patients, and since having them just down the road from the CDC will make research easier, it may even benefit other people with Ebola eventually.  It is the right thing to do, and not unduly risky to the public. I roll my eyes at those people who are panicking.

That said, the what if portion of my brain can’t help noticing that Ebola has an incubation period of 2-21 days, and it’s only 25 days until DragonCon.  If a few days from now one of the healthcare workers messed up getting their equipment off and came into contact with a bit of infected bodily fluids without noticing, and if they had one of the longer incubation times, they’d be getting sick enough to transmit it but not sick enough to immediately recognize it as Ebola just in time for the con.  It would be tempting for a geek in need of a break from their draining job in the hospital to ignore that fever and flu-like initial symptoms to go to DragonCon anyway.  In the crowded conditions at the con, it’s very possible to come into contact with other people’s sweat. Sweat isn’t as infectious as blood or feces, but it can transmit Ebola.

This year’s con crud could be rather interesting.

Again, this is NOT something I actually worry about or think anyone else should worry about, unless that worry makes them take basic hygiene precautions, like lots of hand-washing, that also help out against the more mundane sorts of con crud.  It's just sometimes my brain goes straight to the incredibly far-fetched worst case scenario and starts world-building like I'm writing a novel about it.

Hey, anyone else here going to DragonCon?  :D

Comments

[rap541.livejournal.com]

I am :)

Not terribly concerned about the ebola. I am sure the CDC will blow itself up if necessary. I mean, the walking dead didn't lie?

[tardis-stowaway.livejournal.com]

I am sure the CDC will blow itself up if necessary. I mean, the walking dead didn't lie?

That wasn't even the CDC in the Walking Dead!!! When I lived in Atlanta I was pretty close to the CDC. I know what it looks like on the outside, which meant I was totally thrown out of the show when they finally reached the CDC and it was some building that looks nothing like real CDC. (Apparently the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center played the part of the CDC.)

I get that the real CDC probably wouldn't let them film there (if for no other reason than that passers-by might not react well if they drove past during filming and saw what appeared to be a horde of zombies amassed outside), and for people who haven't lived in the area the CDC building isn't immediately recognizable so they probably felt they didn't need to use special effects to make it look like they were at the real place. However, if you can't trust the Walking Dead to show the real CDC, they might be lying about the explosives as well. ;)

[kaffy-r.livejournal.com]

Hmmm. There are ways in which you and I think alike. This may frighten some of the people we know.

Have a great time at DragonCon!

[tardis-stowaway.livejournal.com]

Hmmm. There are ways in which you and I think alike. This may frighten some of the people we know.

I offer you a fistbump of weird brain solidarity! It's a fistbump because medical science has recently proven this to be less likely to spread disease than shaking hands.

Have a great time at DragonCon!

Thanks!

[kaffy-r.livejournal.com]

Yup - I saw the story about healthy fist bumps. Which I now like to call healthy terrorist fist-bumps (harking back to the first Obama election foofaraw.)

[padfootie.livejournal.com]

You'd think though that a healthcare worker who is trusted with being in contact with a ebola patient would be responsible enough to report any kind of symptoms and would be trained on what to watch out for, so unless that worker is intentionally concealing it and going to a growded place with lots of people, the risk should be very, very low.
I also believe that the main reason for getting those patients to the US is to do better research on them and come up with what to do in case a tourist brings the virus to a Western country.
What I don't like is the media who keeps on saying that there's no need to worry about people travelling at all, because if someone had it they'd isolate them immediately - yeah, well, unless they're too scared to come forward with it and see an actual doctor about it. I don't think anyone's actually keen on being isolated, knowing they carry a deadly disease that will probably kill them. It's like going to the dentist for a check-up - you don't want to go because you're scared he will find something... even if that's silly because obviously the cavity is there no matter if someone finds it or not. But not knowing for sure might give you some peace of mind. ;)
Uh, but my rambling wasn't supposed to scare you. Like I said, I don't think the healtcare workers trusted with those patients would react the way a tourist would, so no need to seriously worry. Just ask people to respect your personal space. I wouldn't want to come into contact with people's sweat even when they're healthy :P

[tardis-stowaway.livejournal.com]

You'd think though that a healthcare worker who is trusted with being in contact with a ebola patient would be responsible enough to report any kind of symptoms and would be trained on what to watch out for

Yes, of course. As I said, this was more of a what if exercise than something I actually worry about, and what you point out is one of the reasons. Realistically, I don't envision any healthcare worker who knows they are working with Ebola ignoring any symptoms, however mild, and supposedly the virus isn't contagious until the patient is symptomatic.

What I don't like is the media who keeps on saying that there's no need to worry about people travelling at all, because if someone had it they'd isolate them immediately - yeah, well, unless they're too scared to come forward with it and see an actual doctor about it. I don't think anyone's actually keen on being isolated, knowing they carry a deadly disease that will probably kill them

Good point! I agree that it's possible that a traveler who was exposed in Africa, traveled before they started showing symptoms, and then didn't immediately report to a doctor might spread it to others. It's a scary thing.

However, I do suspect that any outbreak in a developed country would most likely be fairly small and contained. While it's certainly possible that someone might do something dumb like going to a SF convention despite feeling ill, thus potentially exposing lots of people, most people stay home when they get sick. Even if they were out in public the chance of transmission to bystanders is low since Ebola requires direct contact with bodily fluids. (From what I read, sweat can do it, but it's not nearly as infectious as blood, feces, or semen.) Probably an infected traveler would only expose family and close friends. The virus might be passed on to a few people, but as soon as any one of them became ill enough to go see a doctor who thought to ask about travel to the outbreak area by friends/family, I suspect that the outbreak would be contained very swiftly from there.

Just ask people to respect your personal space. I wouldn't want to come into contact with people's sweat even when they're healthy

Very true. However, DragonCon has over 45,000 people bumping into each other in crowded corridors, riding the same escalators, packing close-together seating for panels, and occasionally stepping outside into the 90˚F heat to get extra sweaty. Pretty sure I've come into contact with other people's sweat there before, LOL.

[iwouldbegood.livejournal.com]

DragonCon, how exciting! I'm sure you'll have tons of fun! :D And I totally get your thought process concerning the Ebola virus. I am the same and would also probably have all sorts of improbable worst case scenarios going through my head if I were you. It's a good thing you'll be so preoccupied by being at an awesome convention that you probably won't even think about it when there :)

And I wanted to ask you, what's the situation with the kittens? :)