We have been researching ways to help fight Ebola both inside and outside the classroom. For a project in class, I created an iMovie to educate others about the Ebola Virus:
We also participated in the IDEO challenge, which is an online challenge to contribute ideas to fight Ebola or at least suppress it. Here is a link to farther read about my idea to fight Ebola by fighting dehydration!
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.
As Ebola has spread across Africa so has fear of this vicious virus. So far, according to the Center for Disease Control, Ebola has spread to a confirmed five countries since its outbreak in Guinea. The mortality has been thought to be up to 90%, meaning 9 out of 10 people infected with Ebola dies. One of the main challenges of fighting Ebola is containment: due to lack of proper health and sanitation care in African, this has become one of the most prominent reasons the virus has continued to spread. The international community has attempted to help control containment by putting international troops in these infected countries in attempt to try and contain the disease. However, I think the best way to control this virus (along with many other diseases) is to find the root of the problem – public health. By donating money and supporting foundations to help with public sanitation and health in Africa, other countries can in turn help with overcoming viruses such as Ebola. It is essential that other nations attempt to help in the fight against Ebola – otherwise, Ebola will go from some horrific-far-away-disease to a reality in our nation. Unless Ebola is stopped in its tracks, it WILL spread to other nations and become even more of a worldwide problem. This Ebola issue has affected how I think about health and medicine in my community because it has made me realize that access to good health care universally may be the ticket to stopping these diseases before they even start.
Works Cited:
“How Can We Help Fight the Ebola Outbreak?” KQED Education KQED Public Media for Northern CA. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Sept. 2014.
MicroSCOPE It Out 