The Ebola Virus

[Katie]

An interesting aspect of the Ebola outbreak is getting information to people in their own language (for those who can read) and appropriate graphics to help those with limited reading capabilities. Translators without Borders is an NGO that is helping to translate Ebola medical information - here's a link to their Hausa Ebola advisory post: https://twitter.com/abredenkamp/status/504155684062388224

 

[whatmeworry]

Breakdown of the current epidemic.
http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/132834/1/roadmapupdate8sept14_eng.pdf?ua=1

 

[juddles]

Am living in Colombia, and dear Avianca have just started a promo - 2 for 1 flights in business to Liberia for $899 return!! Hooray.......

 

[Deleted member 29185]

On the news this morning that a man has been hospitalised at the new(ish) Gold Coast University Hospital with suspected Ebola.

 

[RAM]

Am living in Colombia, and dear Avianca have just started a promo - 2 for 1 flights in business to Liberia for $899 return!! Hooray.......

Brings a whole new meaning to "STATUS" runs...

Not infected,
Not infected,
Not infected...

 

[RAM]

Facts don't sell the papers....

Has anyone noticed that whilst the media keep talking about mortality rates the actual statistics currently have it as below 50% as seen in a number of instances where Westerners who were infected recovered, some treated with experimental drugs.

Then in some more balanced articles they add the disclaimer - eg; of the other 4 members of his medical team who were also infected only one has died and the other 3 are now free of symptoms.

The movie "Contagion" (now under $8 for the dvd generally) despite having much fluff does actually have a good message. Really washing your hands (with soap and effort NOT rubbing together under running water) can make a huge difference to contracting many different diseases.

Unfortunately the 'covert' study done in Sydney every few years which monitors toilets in office buildings etc to see how many people do wash their hands afterwards - is not positive.

The last results I saw (3+ years back) had the proportion of women fall below men for the first time. The figures were below 40% of men went to the basins afterwards and below 38% of women. Another study on the effectiveness of people's hand washing was also bad news less than 3 in 10 were rated as effective.

Why am I so interested? I got meningitis in 2000. Discussed with head of unit about how and he mentioned the hand washing as one of most common. Gave example: do you try a grape at the F&V before buying? Who touched that bunch before you? Then he mentioned the studies which I followed but lost all the info when HD died and I had been neglecting to back-up the "interesting info' directory.

Best advice he gave:

1) Never try unwashed fruit or anything (cheese at delis)
2) Never push a button (lift, pedestrian crossing etc) with your finger tip - use your index knuckle instead.

He commented that people with food poisoning virtually NEVER mention trying samples but point blame at some specific meal purchased. When questioned a large proportion volunteer that yes they had tried free samples around the same time.

Post hospital, on 2nd day back at work, the cleaner walked into the Gents with plastic gloves already on and toilet brush in hand. Went over to check the three toilets, lifted the seats on two and gave them a quick brush, walked over to the sinks (next to me), turned on the cold taps and rubbed his hand around the bench top and in the sinks before turning the taps off and walking out.

I followed him out, his gloves still on, he opened the metal door handle with the wet gloves and walked over to the bank of lifts and pushed the up button.

I was stunned. So I went back to my office and documented the whole thing, time etc and sent it to head of HR and head of Asset Mgmt headed "Business Risk and litigation risks".

Contagion lives!

 

[Deleted member 29185]

So I went back to my office and documented the whole thing, time etc and sent it to head of HR and head of Asset Mgmt headed "Business Risk and litigation risks".

And??????? Was anything done? Retraining? Monitoring? Or deemed not high risk.

I agree totally with hand washing, but I disagree with sanitising everything to within an inch of it's life. It'd be a curious exercise to see a cleaners "how to" manual with respect to issues like when to put gloves on, when to take them off and dispose, how often, what type of cleaning agents, method of cleaning etc.

 

[Denali]

..... The last results I saw (3+ years back) had the proportion of women fall below men for the first time. ......!

From recent experience in having to train Sydney female staff on how to use a toilet and clean up afterwards, Im not at all surprised that women scored so low. Some women are more dirty and disgusting than men. Heck, ive seen toilets in PNG cleaner than the "modern facilities" that I currently use because of the dirty pigs I work with/share the toilets with.

 

[SeatBackForward]

From recent experience in having to train Sydney female staff on how to use a toilet and clean up afterwards, Im not at all surprised that women scored so low. Some women are more dirty and disgusting than men. Heck, ive seen toilets in PNG cleaner than the "modern facilities" that I currently use because of the dirty pigs I work with/share the toilets with.

When did this become a Workplace responsibility?

 

[RAM]

And??????? Was anything done? Retraining? Monitoring? Or deemed not high risk.

I agree totally with hand washing, but I disagree with sanitising everything to within an inch of it's life. It'd be a curious exercise to see a cleaners "how to" manual with respect to issues like when to put gloves on, when to take them off and dispose, how often, what type of cleaning agents, method of cleaning etc.

I left for greener pastures a few weeks later.

Trouble is with virtually evrey company going for lowest cost (or next to) tender for services then you get what you pay for. If winning tenderer does not supply sufficient gloves for change at each toilets then guess what happens. I have noticed that cleaners (during the day time) are never sighted between 9.30-10.30 nor 12.15-2.15. Peak periods perhaps.

I saw the same in the 80s with external auditors even then being forced to cut their audit fees to retain major clients. So 'Vacation Employees' replaced assistant managers and managers, copying the previous year's working papers the "policy" and 5 minute time sheets. In one case my initials and a manager's initials were identical. He went on holiday the day I started my 2nd stint. i got sent out to finalise a multinational audit (with a great view of CQ) on my own. It was only late on my 3rd week when I got to the tax component that I and the Big 4 firm realised - I rang the Tax Partner with some questions. Big egg on face but at least when they checked my work it was 100% correct. The FinCon of said company didn't think anything was wrong 'because he kept asking me difficult questions."

If you look at the same column, day, month every year it is no wonder things aren't found until too late.

 

[DrA]

When did this become a Workplace responsibility?

Don't kid yourself, we've actually been forced to have signs put up in all of the facilities around our university campus due to the contract cleaners complaining about it being excessively unhygenic...

 

[Denali]

When did this become a Workplace responsibility?

*** Warning***
When you share a 4 cubicle toilet with about 15 women and you find some disgusting stuff dripping down the outside of the toilet bowl. Yes. Outside of the toilet bowl.

And that's only one thing Im going to mention here, there are others that required gloves and masks and again, ladies toilets. And overall its not a cultural (squatting) issue.

I would hate to think how many don't wash hands.

 

[RAM]

When did this become a Workplace responsibility?

... decline and fall of Western Civilisation...

 

[PLANT]

They will be an intruder in the big brother house from my sources...... I called it first on this thread... MWe are all doomed cause we live on an island..... Just like the series THE LAST SHIP

 

[RAM]

They will be an intruder in the big brother house from my sources...... I called it first on this thread... MWe are all doomed cause we live on an island..... Just like the series THE LAST SHIP

Just like the UK Zombie series where in a 'Big Brother' take-off the contestants could not understand why nobody was answering them. Makes those meal replacement shakes sound good.....

 

[TheEmu]

Am living in Colombia, and dear Avianca have just started a promo - 2 for 1 flights in business to Liberia for $899 return!! Hooray.......

The definition of an optimist? Expecting to be able to use the return segment.

 

[TheEmu]

... decline and fall of Western Civilisation...

Come to the Middle Kingdom, RAM. Some aspects of societal and personal hygiene here would scare Victorian-era Londoners!

 

[RAM]

Come to the Middle Kingdom, RAM. Some aspects of societal and personal hygiene here would scare Victorian-era Londoners!

Or their close neighbours - never take anything from the left hand!

 

[juddles]

I work in a very mobile environment, normally with a female assistant, and have done so for years. Whenever we have to choose her accomodation amongst male or female quarters, she always chooses the male área. She is adamant that women leave toilet/bathroom facilities much worse than men do. That was a shock to me.

 

[whatmeworry]

I work in a very mobile environment, normally with a female assistant, and have done so for years. Whenever we have to choose her accomodation amongst male or female quarters, she always chooses the male área. She is adamant that women leave toilet/bathroom facilities much worse than men do. That was a shock to me.

One place I worked, the female receptionist absolutely cracked it when someone left faecal matter on the floor of the female toilets.