Granted, one is just a film and features 'Bird Flu' (I think), rather than The Ebola Virus. But when I viewed the film of 'Contagion' a few years ago, at the film's end I thought, 'good film'; (but at that time thought no more about it as it was just a film). Now with Ebola spreading (inconceivably) to other continents I'm wondering how prophetic was Soderbergh? Just as in the film, it's coming from travelers from other countries. Any thoughts from members here about Ebola and or this film?
There's a time for compassion which puts only one's own life at risk, and there's a time for closing borders until other countries get their sh*t together.
When I was younger, I swung towards the former. As a parent, now it's the latter. It's a harsh opinion, I know.
I'm surprised that more stringent international travel restrictions have not been put in place (for the US anyway). As a single most helpful step that would be at the top of my list. Essential travel to the region would be limited to an ebola response effort, and everything else would be considered non-essential and therefore restricted until further notice.
I suspect we will see such action, but only after too many 'oops' situations. We're getting close.
There's a time for compassion which puts only one's own life at risk, and there's a time for closing borders until other countries get their sh*t together.
When I was younger, I swung towards the former. As a parent, now it's the latter. It's a harsh opinion, I know.
We all know who's behind Ebola! It's .... Blofeld! but seriously... bats???
yes, fruit bats ... they carry the virus which can then be transmitted to either domesticated animals like pigs (example = bat droppings falling into pig pens) or wild animals such as monkeys, which are later consumed as what is typically called 'bush meat'
there have been some cases of people being exposed to some strains of ebola by visiting caves
There's a time for compassion which puts only one's own life at risk, and there's a time for closing borders until other countries get their sh*t together.
Seeing as how the US nurse who got on the plane was told by the CDC is was fine to do so, the US doesnt seem to have its shit together right now either.
One current joke in the UK (heard/seen in a few places) is that the US is getting ready to invade Ebola. I guess that belongs in the national stereotypes thread... (I don't subscribe to that view, of course)
Screening has been introduced at UK airports for those flying in directly or indirectly from West Africa. I think there's an acceptance that it's something of a placebo rather than expected to have any real effect. Taking someone's temperature to spot ebola seems to be a precaution on the same lines as closing the curtains in the event of a nuclear attack.
One current joke in the UK (heard/seen in a few places) is that the US is getting ready to invade Ebola. I guess that belongs in the national stereotypes thread... (I don't subscribe to that view, of course)
Screening has been introduced at UK airports for those flying in directly or indirectly from West Africa. I think there's an acceptance that it's something of a placebo rather than expected to have any real effect. Taking someone's temperature to spot ebola seems to be a precaution on the same lines as closing the curtains in the event of a nuclear attack.
We're all doomed!
HAHAHAH. Have to remember that one.
You mean the curtain thing won`t work?!? I HAVE BEEN BETRAYED!
If you want a nightmare scenario, I suggest finding the second season finale for Chris Carter's Millennium - where a mutant strain of Marburg (complete with prions!) kills people with a gruesome hemorrhagic fever within minutes of contracting it.
Dark stuff, has kept me paranoid about this kind of scenario for over a decade. Might be time to break out my gear and start hiking into the deep woods.
I'm thinking of all those survivalists sitting in their concrete bunkers in the desert with five years supply of food, fingers crossed, thinking, oh please, the big plague this time!
I'm thinking of all those survivalists sitting in their concrete bunkers in the desert with five years supply of food, fingers crossed, thinking, oh please, the big plague this time!
If you've ever read The Postman (skip the movie), it definitely predicts that type of person and the intrinsic harm they do to society.
There is another scenario (distinctly local) to my local community of the 'Hamlet', (Thanks for the term Tall Guy), of Hamilton, Montana where I live. If you Google Rocky Mountain Labs, you'll draw up their homepage for the 'N.I.H - Infectious Diseases'. They've got contagious diseases as well as strategic storage of vaccines in their labs. This complex has one opening to the street and is well guarded ('authorized use of deadly force'). It's a bit more than a mile from my home, maybe two miles. I didn't even know this place existed as it's so well hidden away from most of the town and I rode by it by accident on my bike a few years ago. Here I include a video shot by a neighbor closer to the facility than I am. I don't know who he is but he's upset about noise levels from something on the premises. So, you think the forest and woods are safer than a big city, do you?
If you want a nightmare scenario, I suggest finding the second season finale for Chris Carter's Millennium - where a mutant strain of Marburg (complete with prions!) kills people with a gruesome hemorrhagic fever within minutes of contracting it.
That makes for exciting fiction, but as a virus it would not be very effective in spreading around if an infected does within minutes after exposure.
The dangerous ones are the ones with a sufficiently long incubation time where the infected is able to spread the virus around before succumbing to it
That makes for exciting fiction, but as a virus it would not be very effective in spreading around if an infected does within minutes after exposure.
If I remember correctly, it was avian based and it eventually spread to people. Been a while since I saw it.
(Season 2 ends with the characters hiding in a cabin in the woods as they listen to the world fall apart. Season 3 opens with the realization that the press and television overreacted and only a few dozen died in the greater Seattle area or something. Can't tell you how angry that made me when I first saw it.)
There's a time for compassion which puts only one's own life at risk, and there's a time for closing borders until other countries get their sh*t together. When I was younger, I swung towards the former. As a parent, now it's the latter. It's a harsh opinion, I know.
Harperite?
I assume you are referring to Canada's PM. Relevance? (I'm seriously asking.)
