2014.07.31 13:00 - Ebola et al

The Guardian for this meeting was Aphrodite Macbain. The comments are by Aphrodite Macbain.

Korel Laloix: heya
druth Vlodovic: hi korel
Aphrodite Macbain: Heya Korel
Aphrodite Macbain: nice outfit
Aphrodite Macbain: Where is Tsalgi Village? (refers to Kori's group name)
Korel Laloix: wado.. smiles... I like it.. fun for a change.
Korel Laloix: It is just a group.. not sure the sim exsists anymore.
Aphrodite Macbain: nods
Aphrodite Macbain: How have you been? It's been months!
Korel Laloix: Busy.. lots going on.
Aphrodite Macbain: oh? at work?
Korel Laloix: Sort of some big things coming up it looks like.
Aphrodite Macbain: can you say?
Korel Laloix: Well.. work has been annoying as I am doing my and my bosses jobs and only getting paid for mine, plus some overtime.

Korel Laloix: But... might be having a major change of job soon.. still deciding though.
Aphrodite Macbain: Is that the one in Europe?
Korel Laloix: No... one of my epidemiology professors from my masters program has asked me to go to Africa with her to do some Ebola research.
Aphrodite Macbain: wow
Aphrodite Macbain: where in Africa?
Korel Laloix: Would be on the pathogen safety side of it.... so interesting for sure.. but scary for sure as well.
Aphrodite Macbain: why scary?
Korel Laloix: If I understand right, we would land in Uganda.
Aphrodite Macbain: nods
druth Vlodovic: ebola + Africa, scary enough right there, each
Aphrodite Macbain: :-(
Korel Laloix: Well.. people die from it... and medical teams are getting killed by terrorists, wildlife and people that blame the doctors. So.... a lot to think about...
Aphrodite Macbain: you would be handling Ebola under controlled conditions wouldn't you?
Korel Laloix: not sure.
druth Vlodovic: a paper said a %60 mortality rate, but that can't be right; black plague wasn't that bad
Aphrodite Macbain: I don't believe there is unrest right now in Uganda-but it's worth researching
Korel Laloix: Her grant is to document possible vectors... so looking for the wildlife that might carry it.
Aphrodite Macbain: Does she have any candidates (wildlife) in mind?
Korel Laloix: Not fully sure.. I will find out more on Saturday.
druth Vlodovic: worthy work if you take it
Aphrodite Macbain: no kidding!
Korel Laloix: Just will most likely lose my job here if I take it though.. which might not be a bad thing really.
Aphrodite Macbain: Probably experience like that would open up new jobs for you
druth Vlodovic: you can't ask for a sabbatical? humanitarian work and all that?
Aphrodite Macbain: good question
Korel Laloix: I can... but... there is a limit, and with my boss already retiring, that idea has its issues.
Aphrodite Macbain: Maybe when you return they will give you your boss's job - with the proper amount of pay
Aphrodite Macbain: For how long would the contract be?
Korel Laloix: Her first email said six months.

Aphrodite Macbain: Druth- would your boss give you such a thing as a sabbatical? Maybe leave without pay?

druth Vlodovic: heh, it wouldn't hurt to ask, but I wouldn't hold out much hope

Korel Laloix: But again, will find out more on Saturday....
Aphrodite Macbain: kk
Korel Laloix: Just toying with the idea now.... seems worth it over all.. but scary... need to chat with grandma though.
Korel Laloix: Leaving her is my biggest reservation.
Aphrodite Macbain: why? is she unwell?
druth Vlodovic: is she in poor health?
Korel Laloix: Just getting old... confused sometimes... starting to be a fall risk.
Aphrodite Macbain: Is there no one who could stay with her for 6 months?
Korel Laloix: That is one of the things I would have to work out. So that is my biggest reservation.
Aphrodite Macbain: Yes- it gets complicated
Aphrodite Macbain: The only thing that I would have to look out for if I travelled are my 2 cats
Korel Laloix: I feel I could actually make a difference in this.
Aphrodite Macbain: What kind of difference? Saving lives?
Aphrodite Macbain: It would be interesting to learn more about the subject
Aphrodite Macbain: the virus I mean: How it is transmitted.
Korel Laloix: Yes.. the long term would be to save lives... a cure, treatments, etc.

Aphrodite Macbain: I have been reading about yellow fever
Aphrodite Macbain: It is a tropical disease mainly- transmitted by mosquitoes
Aphrodite Macbain: but back in the day they blamed all sorts of things
Aphrodite Macbain: like rotting coffee beans!

VHFs

Korel Laloix: I just find all the VHFs to be very fascinating... would love to learn more.
Aphrodite Macbain: VHF?
Korel Laloix: Oh sorry.. Viral Hemorrhagic Fever
Korel Laloix: Like Marburg, Lassa and Rift Valley
Aphrodite Macbain: is that what Ebola is called? officially...
Korel Laloix: Yes, it is a VHF.... I think named after the river it was first seen near.
Aphrodite Macbain: ah
Aphrodite Macbain: If I were that river I'd complain:)
Korel Laloix: Well Marberg has to put up with a disease named after it... that can't be fun.
Aphrodite Macbain: :D
Aphrodite Macbain: Marberg Disease?
Korel Laloix: Yes, it is a VHF that first was seen in like 1967 in Marburg Germany. They got some monkey tissue from Africa somewhere that was infected then they started dropping quickly after that... a couple dozen died I think.
Korel Laloix: Need to look it up.
druth Vlodovic: what makes VHFs fascinating?
Korel Laloix: So deadly and rare... and a real aggression that you don't see in other bugs.
Korel Laloix: And the transmission from animal to human is another interesting point.
Aphrodite Macbain: real aggression=it acts quickly?
Aphrodite Macbain: I wonder whether the monkeys had died from it too
Aphrodite Macbain: or they were just carriers
Aphrodite Macbain: like mosquitoes
Korel Laloix: I am not sure of that one either... if I do go with this, I will have to become an expert on it very very quickly.
Aphrodite Macbain: :-)

Epimediology

Aphrodite Macbain: epidemiology is an interesting science
Korel Laloix: I think so... smiles... one of the reasons I chose it...
Aphrodite Macbain: epidemics are one of nature's ways of controlling populations; fire, flood, pestilence - all very Biblical in nature
Aphrodite Macbain: but with 7 billion people in the world now there would have to be a lot of epidemics to make much difference
Korel Laloix: Not really... in some parts of the world, I good flu could kill millions.
Korel Laloix: If Ebola got out in India or China or the like, it could be very bad, very quickly.

Aphrodite Macbain: nods - depending on how it is spread
Aphrodite Macbain: yellow fever only hit port cities
Aphrodite Macbain: as it arrived on ships from tropical countries the plague was spread by rats

Korel Laloix: A lot of viral epidemiologists are surprised there had not been a really bad viral mass death since the Spanish flu.
Aphrodite Macbain: Is Ebola as bad as the Spanish flu?
Korel Laloix: Far higher death rate and just about the same spreading factors I think.. need to look up.
Aphrodite Macbain: just reading about it. Very scary
Korel Laloix: Actually looking at one source that says the risk factors for transmission are fairly low... need to read more for sure.

Aphrodite Macbain: Nods. It's managing the transmission that will prevent it

Korel Laloix: Would love to work in a real level 4 lab though.
Aphrodite Macbain: It sounds like this would be a good leg up in the field Korel
Korel Laloix: If I don't end up dead at least... smiles.. frowns
Aphrodite Macbain: : -/
Aphrodite Macbain: You just have to follow the rules
Korel Laloix: I know.. but bad luck does enter into it for sure.
Aphrodite Macbain: Of course

Korel Laloix: One of the lead docs down there died of it recently.
Aphrodite Macbain: How awful. However, if this is the field you want to enter, you will always be facing this risk
Korel Laloix: I know... part of what I signed up for.
Korel Laloix: So I guess the grandma thing is what I really need to figure out... that to me is the biggest issue.
Aphrodite Macbain: yes
Aphrodite Macbain: good luck with that one
Aphrodite Macbain: Grandma's are very important
Korel Laloix: I will have to phrase that well and talk to her sons well in advance.. might have to do that on Saturday afternoon.. frowns.. not a lot of time to get ready for that chat.
Aphrodite Macbain: Could the sons take turns living with her?
Korel Laloix: They could.. but would they?... An interesting question.
Korel Laloix: I am sure they could come up with some ideas.
Aphrodite Macbain: yes. I hope they do
druth Vlodovic: you could offer to mail them things from Africa if they don't
Korel Laloix: lol.. like some ebola covered chocolate... lol
Aphrodite Macbain: lol
Aphrodite Macbain: Are they married?
Aphrodite Macbain: Do they live nearby?
Korel Laloix: Yes all are in the state at least... and all are married.
Aphrodite Macbain: so they could share the responsibility with their partners
Korel Laloix: I would think so.. but I don't' know until I bring this up to them.
druth Vlodovic: well, good luck on your decision
Aphrodite Macbain: I know you will make the best decision Kori
Aphrodite Macbain: Bfn take care
druth Vlodovic: I have to run, have fun Korel
Korel Laloix: OK.. take care.. ciao