This is a video about the background of Ebola: where the disease originated, what it does, symptoms,etc. Here are the basics about a disease that has wrecked havoc and elicited fear from hearts everywhere:
In order to understand a disease, one must understand the logistics of the virus and what is happening on a molecular level. Here is a link to Amanda’s video, which demonstrates the process behind cell signaling:
To learn more about Ebola on a quantitative level, watch Davis’ video which includes data, graphs, and statistics:
Lastly, to find out what scientists are doing now about the current Ebola outbreak, view Abi’s video to learn about current research:
Reflection:
I believe that many people simply look at the fatality rate of Ebola and blow it out of proportion as an “unsolvable monster disease”, forgetting that it follows the basic behaviors of the typical virus. If one were to simply break down the virus and exactly what it does (both the steps and the effects), it makes Ebola a little less scary and the possibility for a cure seem more plausible. I really did not know what Ebola did to the white blood cells or why the bleeding/hemorrhaging occurred. Doing all of this research also led to my connection of fatal diseases to deeper, root problems, such as poverty, sanitation, and water accessibility. By looking at the differences between the death percentage in first world and third world countries affected by ebola, I understand that while a disease can affect anyone, the conditions of the area it affects can determine how detrimental it will be. This motivates me to want to understand what these core problems are and how I (and others) can help.
Works Cited:
“Ebola Virus Disease.” WHO. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Nov. 2014. <http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs103/en/>.
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