Naked Science Forum

Life Sciences => Cells, Microbes & Viruses => Topic started by: binnie on 12/09/2014 19:37:02

Title: 2 Ebola vaccines fast-tracked--but is the NYT story true: not fast enuf?
Post by: binnie on 12/09/2014 19:37:02

Two vaccines are being fast-tracked at the request of WHO, but will November be early enough to help in Africa? Perhaps not, if the NYT article below is correct?

http://www.dddmag.com/articles/2014/09/two-anti-ebola-vaccines-historic-race
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/12/opinion/what-were-afraid-to-say-about-ebola.html

Title: Re: 2 Ebola vaccines fast-tracked--but is the NYT story true: not fast enuf?
Post by: chris on 14/09/2014 22:41:03

The current estimates suggest that 20,000 people might be impacted before the current outbreak abates. The sooner the better I say!

Title: Re: 2 Ebola vaccines fast-tracked--but is the NYT story true: not fast enuf?
Post by: binnie on 30/09/2014 01:25:38

Estimates climbing every day. Unbelievable.

Title: Re: 2 Ebola vaccines fast-tracked--but is the NYT story true: not fast enuf?
Post by: evan_au on 01/10/2014 09:27:16

I saw some graphs which showed the number of cases doubling about every month.
In the absence of an effective treatment, this means that fatalities will also double every month.
So the infections and deaths in the last month are (roughly) equal to the number of cases and deaths in the entire history of the current outbreak.
The current ebola outbreak is much larger than previous outbreaks, so soon 1 month's infections will equal the infections in all previous recorded outbreaks.
 

Title: Re: 2 Ebola vaccines fast-tracked--but is the NYT story true: not fast enuf?
Post by: chris on 01/10/2014 22:54:23

The death toll from the current outbreak is already well over the cumulative total of the previous 45 years since the disease was first discovered...