Quote:
Originally Posted by AKA_Monet
Cheerful--
You ought to take a public health class after you take your first level microbiology and virology classes... These classes explain why the movie was dead wrong on viral transmission. But it is on point about what US AMRID will do if such a situation existed--i.e. nuking the place...
You should watch Legend with Will Smith if you liked Outbreak.
Also, the reason why viruses spread so far is because of filth and no controls on public health. It is conceivable that it could happen today with a different kind of virus unseen, because it did happen with Bird Flu (H5N1 strain). But Dr. Fauci literally stated a catastrophe of the situation to the Bush Admin to put more money in Global Public Health. Also there are now 3 strains of HIV in humans...
Some people are just plain nasty and funky... I am not talking about poor countries--I am talking about folks who live in the US.
Besides, if someone showed up with major quarantined viral infection and the physicians were astute enough (  ), the "Andromeda Strain" protocol would be in effect... Now, that is a book and movie you should try to see.
It is thought the reason why Egyptian, Roman and European pestilences were devastating was due to water source contamination including chemicals and microbial-fecal contaminations; poor water treatment options and poor sanitation practices--cleaning out the leavened grain areas, etc.
Today if that same kind of thing were to happen in the US... Well, it already does and public health departments are sorely understaffed. |
AKA Monet, Yeah, I saw "I am Legend". I loved that movie. Exactly what I was talking about, and Daemon I would hardly call AIDS a huge pandemic. I was talking about something that could possibly end civilization as we know it. Something that would cause the loss of key people. I think the loss of key people would be very crucial. Think about it. Losing pieces indiscriminately from a highly complex system is very dangerous, and one of the most profound results of complex systems research is that when systems are highly complex, key individuals matter. I say this because these are the people whose actions link all the rest.
I don't know if you guys remember back in 2000 when a strike blocked petrol deliveries from the UK's oil refineries for 10 days, nearly a third of motorists ran out of fuel. Some train and bus services were cancelled, shops began to run out of food, hostpitals were reduced to running minimal services, hazardous waste piled up, and even bodies went unburied.
What would happen in a pandemic when a lot of truck drivers are sick, dead or too scared to go to work? Seriously, I think even if a pandemic were mild, many might have to stay at home to care for sick family members, or look after kids whos schools are closed. Even a small impact on road haulage would cause serious problems.
Other than AKA Monet, I don't think you guys are seeing the big picture. When I saw "Out Break" I was like "No way!" There has to be more to it than this. I mean c'mon, it's not the virus that would cause the biggest problem it's how it would effect everything else around us. Things we rely on to live. They really should have added these things to the movie. It would have been much more realistic.
Look at some of the companies that use or sell commodities from coal to asprin. Well, they really don't keep large stock piles of this anymore because it's so expensive. They rely instead on frequent small deliveries. So if delivery drivers are infected, or people they work with are, these companies are totally screwed.
I know in hospitals that they rely on daily deliveries of drugs, blood and gases. I guess if a pandemic broke out, they would have to make sure they had enough ventilators. Eventually they would run out of oxygen, because I would think they generally wouldn't have more than a two day supply, but I could be wrong on that. Equally critical is chlorine for water purification plants too. Trucks also need fuel, so what if staff at the refineries that produce it have the disease or are too scared to show up for work? Things that make ya go hmmm.
Thanks, AKA Monet, "I am Legend" is exactly what I'm trying to convey, if I haven't already.
AIDS? Oh please.
btw: I was laughing SO hard at the "nasty and funky" comment.
lol lol lol.
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