Should Britain Screen West Africans.

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2785689/As-U-S-brings-airport-screening-won-t-UK-test-air-travellers-Ebola.html

I notice that once again Britain leaps into sending troops into Ebola affected west African countries, but refuses to protect it's own people by refusing to screen for Ebola victims at its borders, like the US are doing.

Could it be that they think more about the feelings of foreigners than they do about their own people, or could it be that they are afraid of being called racist for only picking on West Africans?

[Sqad]

Decision by the Cobra committee is to " monitor the situation" an oft underused approach to medical problems to which I concur.

"Fools rush in where angels fear to tread."

[TWR]

It will when the UK is infested A.O.G. typical UK, close the gate when the cows have got out.

[retrocop]

I believe that the UK should most definitely screen ALL people arriving from West African countries. It is certainly not a fool proof measure of prevention though as e.g. it doesn't need to be a coloured person who brings this virus into the country.It could also be brought in by a Scandinavian who had recently visited a West African Country. The only effective way to keep a check on the virus would be to investigate EVERY inbound traveller to our ports as regards to their previous geographical visits.
I notice that Emma Thompson opened a new TB treatment centre at the NHS Whittington Hospital recently. We all know that TB was eventually eradicated back in the 50s/60s in this country and was confined back to the third world.London has now become the largest European capital with TB sufferers.As I said earlier the disease was confined to 3rd world countries so we see on the BBC news link that all the patients being treated at the Whittington are immigrants. No suprise there.Our NHS is already overwhelmed and now we become the worlds dustbin for foreign born diseases returning to our shores. Thanks a bunch Blair. How come London and not,say, Paris carries the most TB sufferers? I think we know the answer to that.

[anotheoldgit]

/// Health experts today urged any potential Ebola patients in the UK to call for medical assistance rather than walk into hospitals seeking help. ///

/// Meanwhile the country's largest NHS trust has put patients on alert for signs they are infected with the virus. ///

/// Barts Health, in London, has warning notices in its A&E departments at The Royal London, Whipps Cross and Newham hospitals, the Evening Standard reported. ///

/// The posters urge people to tell staff if they have returned from West Africa and have a fever or high temperature. ///

/// The UK has only two high-level containment beds – both at the Royal Free – with no isolation units available in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. ///

Well that's taken care of the Brits, now let's see what else we can do.

/// More than 750 British military personnel and a medical ship will be deployed to West Africa to help fight the Ebola epidemic. ///

/// The ship, RFA Argus, which has a fully-equipped hospital including critical care and high-dependency units, will be sent to Sierra Leone, along with three Merlin helicopters, it is understood. ///

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2785393/Potential-Ebola-victims-told-call-medical-help-NOT-walk-A-E-GP-practices-NHS-virus-alert.html

[lindapalmara]

Talking about cows, when we used to travel regularly to Spain in the early Noughties, Mad Cow disease was at its height. Everyone coming off UK flights were rigorously searched for meat products and made to walk through a 'sheep dip' type bath to sanitize our shoes. This was quite right and nobody complained. Why can't screen people from flights from infected regions in Africa? Why wait till it's too late?

[TWR]

HIV & the likes, where does it seem to come from?

[retrocop]

Exactly TVR. The third world!!

[Old_Geezer]

I think it is down to practicalities, which I am in no position to judge. For sure I'd want the authorities to do all possible to stop a very unpleasant disease entering this country, but what does that mean to delays at ports and staff requirements and other resource demands ?

Maybe if you are comparing with sending troops elsewhere, the troops could be used to repel African visitors instead ?

[mushroom25]

lindapalmara, it wasn't mad cow disease that brought forth the airport sheep dips, but foot and mouth disease.

[anotheoldgit]

Ah yes Mad Cows disease that was when the European Union banned the export of British beef for 10 years.

[bazwillrun]

Of course they should be screened....but no doubt them and their "supporters" will play the usual race card.....

[whiskeryron]

//
anotheoldgit
Question Author
Ah yes Mad Cows disease that was when the European Union banned the export of British beef for 10 years. //

Mad cow disease--1979 - 1990.

[dave50]

Forget about being accused of being racist, it doesn't really matter, do what has to be done and if it upsets some so called minority, so what, who cares? The end justifies the means and as Mr Spock so wisely said on Star Trek, "the needs of the many, outweight the needs of the few".

[Canary42]

I wondered how long before the xenophobes exploited the ebola outbreak for their evil propaganda - now I know. The virus can equally be carried by WASPs, but we don't talk about that of course.

[jomifl]

When ships arrived from abroad and there was possibility of infectious disease (apart from the usual complaints of which sqad is an enthusiast) they were quarantined until either everybody had died or had survived. It seemed to work.

[jomifl]

And HORNETS too

[Booldawg]

I doubt a wasp would make it past security without a passport.

[Booldawg]

a hornet might do though - they're badass

[237SJ]

There`s not actually much you can do to screen people apart from issuing passengers with forms (which is being done in some places) requesting information about their medical status. There is no guarantee that they will answer truthfully anyway. In Hong King and other places where there has been a lot of SARS, bird flu etc, they randomly take passengers` temperatures so I suppose they could do that here but I can`t think what else they can do.

[237SJ]

If anybody wants to read the details https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/358306/west-africa-ebola-uk-aviation-sector-guidance-sept-2014.pdf