DEADLY EBOLA OUTBREAK IN WEST AFRICA.

English: Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever fistribution map of outbreaks in Africa (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

An outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus has killed 101 people in Guinea and neighbouring Liberia. One of the worlds deadliest viruses Ebola has a fatality rate of 90% resulting from haemorrahagic fever and organ failure.  Medicins San Frontieres (MSF) who are attempting to stem the spread of the virus say it could be months before they can halt the spread of the pathogen. Ebola is spread through contact of sweat and other bodily fluids of infected people or animals, although this is not understood in many remote villages where some people believe the virus is caused by witchcraft.                                                              Initial symptoms resemble those of the flu or malaria: Between two and 21 days after becoming infected, patients start to feel weak and experience headaches, muscle aches and chills. They develop high fever paired with diarrhea and nausea. The infected die of severe internal bleeding, in particular of the gastrointestinal tract, spleen and lungs.                                                                          It's the first Ebola outbreak in West Africa which is proving to be a challenge for international aid organizations.                                                                                       "This time, in Guinea, we have cases reported from several localities inside the country which means that we need to put measures in place not in one place that was quite often the case but in several locations" said Tarik Jasarevic spokesman for the World Health Organisation. "It was difficult to come up with enough resources and mobilize partners" he added.                                                                    Hiccups, say doctors, are the final tell tale sign of infection. Patients can be discharged from isolation units soon after their clinical symptoms, such as fever and diarrhoea, disappear.

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NHS HAVE SOLD 47MILLION HOSPITAL IN-PATIENTS DATA TO INSURANCE COMPANY.

If you have spent time in hospital in the last ten years then your data will undoubtabley be in the hands of The Staple Inn Actuarial Society.          Report says data covering in-patient stays between 1997 and 2010 were used to track patients' medical histories. Patients have been identified by their date of birth and their postcode  according to the Daily Telegraph. and the data used by the insurance body to work out premiums. when they combined the data alongside credit ratings it resulted in higher premiums for most people under the age of 50.                                                                                                                                                     The newly formed Health & Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC), which collects national health and social care data, said that the records referred to by the Staple Inn Actuarial Society  had been provided by a predecessor body, the NHS Information Centre. This comes less than a week after the NHS had to postpone the roll out of the GPs and hospital data sharing scheme amidst worries of data protection for individuals.The HSCIC insisted that the records were not used to analyse individual insurance premiums but to analyse general variances in critical illness.                                                                                                                                   This is what the Association of Medical Research Charities chief executive Sharmila Nebhrajani had to say about data sharing on the 18th of february 2014, she said " any sharing of data must be done with care, competence and consent" " care that respects the sensitivity of the data, competence to ensure that information is held securely and most importantly with the informed consent of the public.                                                                                                                                                                                         This has obviously been overlooked by the NSCICs predecessor body, the NHS Information Centre. So who is to be held accountable for the selling off of peoples sensitive data and what assurances can the government give that the data will not be further sold on ? I suspect that this government does not have the answers.                                                                                                                                            When the NHS put their massive data share scheme on hold for six months who had the knowledge that this was happening and why were we not informed?                           privacy experts warn there will be no way for the public to work out who has their medical records or to what use their data will be put.

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IS WATCHING TO MUCH TV BAD FOR YOUR HEALTH?

British Heart Foundation (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Every hour spent watching television shortens the viewer’s life by 22 minutes, academics warn.                                                              

Anyone who spends six hours a day in front of the box is at risk of dying five years sooner than those who enjoy more active pastimes, it is claimed.

Researchers say that watching too much TV is as dangerous as smoking or being overweight, and that the “ubiquitous sedentary behaviour” should be seen as a “public health problem”                                                 

Well i can mention a few tv programmes i,ve watched lately that after it had finished i thought i was brain dead. No but seriously if we sit our children down in front of the tv all day long does it actualy do them any harm.?                               Researchers say that watching too much TV is as dangerous as smoking or being overweight, and that the “ubiquitous sedentary behaviour” should be seen as a “public health problem”                                      
Maureen Talbot, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said: “Sedentary behaviour such as vegging in front of the TV is practically a cultural institution these days and it’s good to relax for a while, but this study supports the view that too much of it can be bad for our health.
“Many of us make a conscious decision not to smoke because we know it’s bad for us, and this study suggests that more of us should make the same kind of pledge about lounging around and watching lots of TV.
       Should or could we cut down on the amount of tv we watch? is it bad for you or is it just one of those stories that someone has made a lot of money out of studying., just a small thought, how many people do you think die either sat in an armchair or lay in bed watching tv?  not a nice thing to happen but tv sets are now being made to assess your health when you are watching  your favourite show.   see link below.                                                                                                            http://www.technewsdaily.com/18401-tv-could-monitor-heart-health.html                               
                           
Now its your turn, do you " like" or "dislike this article, please dont forget to let me know if you think i enjoy this topic and check the "reaction" boxes.    Regards, A+A

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