1 00:00:03,240 --> 00:00:06,480 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff Mom Never Told You from how Supports 2 00:00:06,519 --> 00:00:14,760 Speaker 1: dot com. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. I'm Kristen 3 00:00:14,920 --> 00:00:17,680 Speaker 1: and I'm Caroline, and today we are going to talk 4 00:00:17,720 --> 00:00:22,280 Speaker 1: about a bowla because obviously, um, this is a massive 5 00:00:22,440 --> 00:00:26,360 Speaker 1: healthcare issue that's going on right now in West Africa 6 00:00:26,600 --> 00:00:30,400 Speaker 1: and abroad, and there's also a lot going on in 7 00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:34,040 Speaker 1: terms of the intersection of women and a bowla, a 8 00:00:34,120 --> 00:00:37,440 Speaker 1: facet of it that might not be focused on as closely. 9 00:00:37,520 --> 00:00:39,200 Speaker 1: So we're going to take some time to talk about 10 00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:42,240 Speaker 1: what a bola is, how it's spread, why it's spreading 11 00:00:42,280 --> 00:00:45,720 Speaker 1: so fast, and also why women are at a particular 12 00:00:45,880 --> 00:00:49,040 Speaker 1: risk for contracting a bowla. Right, so let's turn to 13 00:00:49,080 --> 00:00:53,680 Speaker 1: the World Health Organization to figure out what evil is exactly. Basically, 14 00:00:53,760 --> 00:00:57,200 Speaker 1: it is a severe and often fatal virus that's hard 15 00:00:57,240 --> 00:01:01,360 Speaker 1: to distinguish in terms of its symptoms from things like laria, typhoid, fever, 16 00:01:01,800 --> 00:01:05,120 Speaker 1: and meningitis, and in terms of its fatality rate. It 17 00:01:05,240 --> 00:01:09,360 Speaker 1: is fatal fifty of the time. And once you are 18 00:01:09,440 --> 00:01:13,040 Speaker 1: infected with the virus, the time from infection to onset 19 00:01:13,080 --> 00:01:16,360 Speaker 1: of symptoms can range anywhere from two to twenty one days, 20 00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:18,919 Speaker 1: and you're probably if you've been following these reports, probably 21 00:01:18,959 --> 00:01:21,640 Speaker 1: familiar with that twenty one day figure, because that's the 22 00:01:21,680 --> 00:01:24,200 Speaker 1: amount of time that a lot of authorities are saying 23 00:01:24,480 --> 00:01:27,520 Speaker 1: that people coming back from West Africa should be quarantine. 24 00:01:27,560 --> 00:01:31,520 Speaker 1: There's a big debate over that um. But people are 25 00:01:31,560 --> 00:01:34,520 Speaker 1: not actually infectious until they develop symptoms. So it's not 26 00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:36,800 Speaker 1: like you're carrying it around infecting people if you don't 27 00:01:36,840 --> 00:01:39,600 Speaker 1: know you have it. But once you do develop symptoms, 28 00:01:39,600 --> 00:01:42,000 Speaker 1: the virus is so contagious that it even can be 29 00:01:42,040 --> 00:01:45,120 Speaker 1: detected on your skin. And the kinds of symptoms that 30 00:01:45,120 --> 00:01:49,040 Speaker 1: we're talking about usually start with things like fever, muscle pain, 31 00:01:49,160 --> 00:01:52,720 Speaker 1: sore throat. We hear a lot about how doctors and 32 00:01:52,800 --> 00:01:56,200 Speaker 1: nurses are constantly having to take their temperatures every few 33 00:01:56,200 --> 00:01:59,760 Speaker 1: hours because that's usually one of the first indications that 34 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:03,200 Speaker 1: I have contracted a bola. And then the symptoms can 35 00:02:03,240 --> 00:02:07,840 Speaker 1: progress to include things like diarrhea, vomiting, impaired kidney or 36 00:02:07,880 --> 00:02:12,239 Speaker 1: liver function. And then it can also progress when it 37 00:02:12,280 --> 00:02:15,560 Speaker 1: when it starts reaching a fatal point where you begin 38 00:02:15,760 --> 00:02:20,200 Speaker 1: bleeding internally. Uh that lowers your blood pressure and eventually 39 00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:25,079 Speaker 1: causes organ failure. Yeah, and we don't have anything super 40 00:02:25,080 --> 00:02:28,919 Speaker 1: optimistic to report as of press time in terms of treatment, 41 00:02:29,120 --> 00:02:32,799 Speaker 1: other than to say they're working on it. Um health 42 00:02:32,840 --> 00:02:36,840 Speaker 1: care teams rehydrate patients, they provide I mean therapies and 43 00:02:36,840 --> 00:02:41,640 Speaker 1: blood products. Vaccines are being worked on. But it generally 44 00:02:41,720 --> 00:02:44,440 Speaker 1: seems like the push for that did not come until 45 00:02:45,040 --> 00:02:48,079 Speaker 1: this fall, actually, even though the outbreak started much earlier. 46 00:02:48,639 --> 00:02:52,680 Speaker 1: So how does it spread among people? Because there's obviously 47 00:02:52,720 --> 00:02:56,640 Speaker 1: in the United States been a lot of panic about 48 00:02:56,720 --> 00:02:59,760 Speaker 1: it being so contagious as and we'll talk about this 49 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:03,400 Speaker 1: as there have been a bull of patients on US soil. 50 00:03:03,560 --> 00:03:08,880 Speaker 1: And the bottom line is that it's not an airborne virus. 51 00:03:08,919 --> 00:03:12,760 Speaker 1: It is contracted through direct contact, usually through broken skin 52 00:03:13,240 --> 00:03:18,560 Speaker 1: or mucous membranes with blood secretions, organs or other bodily 53 00:03:18,600 --> 00:03:22,880 Speaker 1: fluids of infected people. And you can also contracted through 54 00:03:22,880 --> 00:03:26,160 Speaker 1: direct contact with surfaces and materials such as betting and 55 00:03:26,280 --> 00:03:32,160 Speaker 1: clothing that have been contaminated with those bodily fluids, and 56 00:03:32,240 --> 00:03:35,320 Speaker 1: so you can imagine that Also part of the problem 57 00:03:35,560 --> 00:03:39,160 Speaker 1: is the burial and mourning rituals that are common in 58 00:03:39,320 --> 00:03:42,160 Speaker 1: parts of West Africa where this outbreak has occurred, in 59 00:03:42,160 --> 00:03:44,280 Speaker 1: which people directly handle the body. And so you can 60 00:03:44,320 --> 00:03:47,160 Speaker 1: imagine that if in the ways it is contagious through 61 00:03:47,200 --> 00:03:50,600 Speaker 1: secretions and blood and other bodily fluids, that if those 62 00:03:50,600 --> 00:03:53,160 Speaker 1: still exist on the person after death, and you have 63 00:03:53,240 --> 00:03:57,040 Speaker 1: people washing the body and bearing the body improperly, that 64 00:03:57,120 --> 00:04:00,760 Speaker 1: it could still infect people around them. Yeah, because in 65 00:04:00,880 --> 00:04:04,960 Speaker 1: terms of how long it's infectious, pretty much as long 66 00:04:05,120 --> 00:04:08,760 Speaker 1: as blood and bodily fluids remain, including things like semen 67 00:04:09,280 --> 00:04:14,400 Speaker 1: and breast milk, it likely also contains the virus. For instance, 68 00:04:14,880 --> 00:04:19,160 Speaker 1: men who have recovered from ebola can still transmit the 69 00:04:19,240 --> 00:04:23,119 Speaker 1: virus through their semen for up to seven weeks after 70 00:04:23,240 --> 00:04:27,240 Speaker 1: recovery from illness, which is crazy. That's crazy. So it's 71 00:04:27,240 --> 00:04:29,640 Speaker 1: not just like, oh, you're bleeding and I'm going to 72 00:04:29,640 --> 00:04:32,240 Speaker 1: get it. It's like it can also be sexually transmitted, 73 00:04:32,240 --> 00:04:35,440 Speaker 1: which makes sense, but it's also terrifying. Um, but so 74 00:04:35,480 --> 00:04:39,839 Speaker 1: where did this come from? People originally got it from animals, 75 00:04:39,880 --> 00:04:42,799 Speaker 1: and fruit baths are thought to be the natural hosts 76 00:04:42,880 --> 00:04:45,360 Speaker 1: of the e bowl of virus, and so then humans 77 00:04:45,720 --> 00:04:49,919 Speaker 1: come into contact with fluids like blood, organs or droppings 78 00:04:49,960 --> 00:04:55,719 Speaker 1: of these animals, and animals like chimpanzees, gorillas, monkeys, forest 79 00:04:55,800 --> 00:04:59,120 Speaker 1: antelopes and porcupines found dead or injured in the rainforest, 80 00:04:59,560 --> 00:05:03,440 Speaker 1: and in act, the first Ebola outbreaks occurred in remote 81 00:05:03,480 --> 00:05:08,360 Speaker 1: villages in Central Africa near tropical rainforests. In nineteen six, 82 00:05:08,480 --> 00:05:11,520 Speaker 1: there were two simultaneous outbreaks, one in Sudan and one 83 00:05:11,560 --> 00:05:14,440 Speaker 1: in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and that one was 84 00:05:14,480 --> 00:05:17,719 Speaker 1: near the Ebola River, hence the name. Now when it 85 00:05:17,760 --> 00:05:21,440 Speaker 1: comes to the current outbreak, um the outbreak in West 86 00:05:21,480 --> 00:05:25,680 Speaker 1: Africa has also involved not only rural areas but major 87 00:05:25,800 --> 00:05:28,840 Speaker 1: urban areas as well, and it's the largest and most 88 00:05:28,920 --> 00:05:32,760 Speaker 1: complex Ebola outbreaks since the virus was first discovered, as 89 00:05:33,120 --> 00:05:37,440 Speaker 1: a lot of people are probably aware and it's concentrated 90 00:05:37,480 --> 00:05:42,599 Speaker 1: largely in three main countries, Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia, 91 00:05:42,760 --> 00:05:48,160 Speaker 1: but there have been cases in Molly, Spain, the US obviously, 92 00:05:48,320 --> 00:05:53,359 Speaker 1: and Nigeria and Senegal are also on watch right and 93 00:05:53,440 --> 00:05:56,760 Speaker 1: with this outbreak we've seen more cases and deaths than 94 00:05:56,880 --> 00:06:01,479 Speaker 1: all other Ebola outbreaks combined. More than four hundred healthcare 95 00:06:01,480 --> 00:06:04,200 Speaker 1: workers in West Africa have been infected and two hundred 96 00:06:04,240 --> 00:06:06,800 Speaker 1: and thirty three had died as of October eight, so 97 00:06:06,880 --> 00:06:10,560 Speaker 1: obviously that number would need updating, so The question then, 98 00:06:10,680 --> 00:06:12,760 Speaker 1: is why is it spreading so fast. We've had these 99 00:06:12,760 --> 00:06:17,720 Speaker 1: previous outbreaks before, why is this one so particularly aggressive? Um? 100 00:06:17,720 --> 00:06:20,880 Speaker 1: The World Health Organization largely attributes it to things such 101 00:06:20,920 --> 00:06:24,479 Speaker 1: as lack of education about transmission. I mean, I I 102 00:06:24,560 --> 00:06:28,360 Speaker 1: know from seeing news coverage in the United States there's 103 00:06:28,400 --> 00:06:32,240 Speaker 1: been so much confusion about how it is transmitted and 104 00:06:32,360 --> 00:06:35,240 Speaker 1: the fact that it's not in fact airborne. UM. There's 105 00:06:35,240 --> 00:06:38,520 Speaker 1: also been a reluctance to seek treatment. There has been 106 00:06:38,560 --> 00:06:41,520 Speaker 1: among some people in West Africa, suspicion that it doesn't 107 00:06:41,560 --> 00:06:46,360 Speaker 1: even exist, that it's perhaps a conspiracy. Um. But also 108 00:06:46,760 --> 00:06:51,160 Speaker 1: in the most severely affected countries Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia. 109 00:06:52,000 --> 00:06:55,240 Speaker 1: These three countries have just come out of long periods 110 00:06:55,279 --> 00:06:58,120 Speaker 1: of conflict and because of that, their health systems have 111 00:06:58,160 --> 00:07:02,760 Speaker 1: already been weakened due to lack of human and infrastructural resources. 112 00:07:02,839 --> 00:07:06,960 Speaker 1: So they didn't even have the systems in place to 113 00:07:07,920 --> 00:07:10,760 Speaker 1: jump on a case like this, and so now it's 114 00:07:10,760 --> 00:07:14,160 Speaker 1: as if we're starting from behind. Obviously, the fact that, 115 00:07:14,200 --> 00:07:16,960 Speaker 1: like you said, Caroline, work on a vaccine didn't even 116 00:07:17,000 --> 00:07:21,760 Speaker 1: start until the fall, right, Um. Well, and it's another 117 00:07:21,800 --> 00:07:24,160 Speaker 1: thing too to look at the World Health World Health 118 00:07:24,240 --> 00:07:29,880 Speaker 1: Organizations guidelines about infection control. These are very good guidelines, obviously, 119 00:07:30,400 --> 00:07:33,320 Speaker 1: but when you hear them, it makes more sense why 120 00:07:33,400 --> 00:07:36,760 Speaker 1: it's spreading so fast among people with limited resources. Because 121 00:07:36,760 --> 00:07:40,720 Speaker 1: the things that they recommend include hand hygiene, respiratory hygiene, 122 00:07:40,760 --> 00:07:43,680 Speaker 1: and use of personal protective equipment. Okay, that makes sense, 123 00:07:43,720 --> 00:07:47,080 Speaker 1: you want to block splashes or contact with infective materials. 124 00:07:47,480 --> 00:07:50,360 Speaker 1: But they also talk about things like safe injection practices, 125 00:07:50,400 --> 00:07:55,360 Speaker 1: safe burial practices, applying extra infection control measures, wearing face 126 00:07:55,440 --> 00:07:58,280 Speaker 1: protection like a face shield or medical mask and goggles, 127 00:07:58,640 --> 00:08:03,320 Speaker 1: wearing clean, non sterile, long sleeve gowns and gloves for procedures. 128 00:08:03,800 --> 00:08:07,480 Speaker 1: And that's all well and good, and those things would 129 00:08:07,480 --> 00:08:11,520 Speaker 1: all be readily available in America and other countries, but 130 00:08:11,880 --> 00:08:14,280 Speaker 1: in some of these rural villages that are going through 131 00:08:14,280 --> 00:08:18,000 Speaker 1: this health crisis, all of these preventive measures are not 132 00:08:18,120 --> 00:08:21,720 Speaker 1: necessarily available well. And also in terms of the number 133 00:08:21,840 --> 00:08:26,720 Speaker 1: of trained health care workers you have to treat this population, um, 134 00:08:26,840 --> 00:08:31,760 Speaker 1: they're clearly not enough. Obviously, we're getting more UH international 135 00:08:31,800 --> 00:08:34,839 Speaker 1: medical workers on the ground building hospitals as fast as 136 00:08:34,840 --> 00:08:37,240 Speaker 1: they can, but in terms of just looking at what 137 00:08:37,360 --> 00:08:40,280 Speaker 1: West Africa you have one nurse for about every ten 138 00:08:40,440 --> 00:08:44,600 Speaker 1: thousand people, and so in such a crisis as this, 139 00:08:44,760 --> 00:08:49,959 Speaker 1: it's easy for those kinds of very strict protocols to 140 00:08:50,080 --> 00:08:53,720 Speaker 1: sometimes fall by the wayside or something to slip up, 141 00:08:53,720 --> 00:08:59,480 Speaker 1: just because of so many people needing care. And the 142 00:08:59,520 --> 00:09:03,520 Speaker 1: thing that has sparked a lot of Western focus and 143 00:09:03,600 --> 00:09:08,400 Speaker 1: American focus on this outbreak is the fact that it 144 00:09:08,559 --> 00:09:13,600 Speaker 1: has obviously been contracted on US soil now, which says 145 00:09:13,640 --> 00:09:19,080 Speaker 1: a lot about our priorities in terms of UM, really 146 00:09:19,120 --> 00:09:23,800 Speaker 1: only caring about crises like this when they affect us 147 00:09:23,800 --> 00:09:26,480 Speaker 1: in our backyards. UM. But we want to walk through 148 00:09:26,520 --> 00:09:29,640 Speaker 1: just a brief timeline of how that happened and how 149 00:09:29,679 --> 00:09:34,439 Speaker 1: that sort of led up to this more American panic 150 00:09:34,960 --> 00:09:38,880 Speaker 1: around Ebola and our response to that. Yeah, this is 151 00:09:38,920 --> 00:09:41,199 Speaker 1: coming from US News and World Report. We also took 152 00:09:41,240 --> 00:09:44,720 Speaker 1: some details from a Reuter's timeline. UM. But basically, health 153 00:09:44,720 --> 00:09:47,160 Speaker 1: authorities think that a guinea and toddler who died in 154 00:09:47,200 --> 00:09:51,520 Speaker 1: December is patient zero for the current outbreak, because then 155 00:09:51,559 --> 00:09:54,840 Speaker 1: that toddler's family contracted the disease and it's spread from there. 156 00:09:55,320 --> 00:09:58,600 Speaker 1: In March, that's when we have Guineas Ministry of Health 157 00:09:58,600 --> 00:10:02,760 Speaker 1: announcing the ebola outbreak was suspected cases in Sierra Leone 158 00:10:02,840 --> 00:10:06,960 Speaker 1: in Liberia, and by July the World Health Organization was 159 00:10:07,000 --> 00:10:10,160 Speaker 1: reporting more than five people dead. And then on July 160 00:10:11,000 --> 00:10:16,360 Speaker 1: this was really when uh CNN, for instance, started having 161 00:10:16,440 --> 00:10:19,600 Speaker 1: it's almost twenty four hour constant coverage of the bowl outbreak, 162 00:10:19,720 --> 00:10:24,080 Speaker 1: because this is when Dr Kent Brantley and fellow AID 163 00:10:24,080 --> 00:10:27,640 Speaker 1: worker Nancy right Bowl are diagnosed with a bowla in Liberia. 164 00:10:28,080 --> 00:10:31,120 Speaker 1: They're then both flown to Atlanta to be treated at 165 00:10:31,160 --> 00:10:36,480 Speaker 1: Emory Hospital. Um. That transport to Emery happens in early August, 166 00:10:36,600 --> 00:10:39,120 Speaker 1: and so all of a sudden, the fact that these 167 00:10:39,480 --> 00:10:43,400 Speaker 1: two workers are being transported here, oh, then it catches 168 00:10:43,840 --> 00:10:46,800 Speaker 1: our attention. Obviously there was awareness that a NI bowla 169 00:10:46,840 --> 00:10:51,360 Speaker 1: outbreak was happening, but this was really when more of 170 00:10:51,640 --> 00:10:54,800 Speaker 1: day to day focus was being placed on what this 171 00:10:54,920 --> 00:10:58,559 Speaker 1: really means for us too. And so by August night, 172 00:10:58,679 --> 00:11:01,960 Speaker 1: the World Health Organization reported that when thousand people were 173 00:11:02,040 --> 00:11:06,720 Speaker 1: dead in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Nigeria, and just 174 00:11:06,880 --> 00:11:12,040 Speaker 1: ten days later they declare the worst ebola outbreak in history. Meanwhile, 175 00:11:12,120 --> 00:11:15,880 Speaker 1: though the organization Doctors without Borders had been saying the 176 00:11:15,960 --> 00:11:19,160 Speaker 1: same thing for a while. They had called the spread 177 00:11:19,400 --> 00:11:23,439 Speaker 1: unprecedented back in April. Yeah, and then if we jumped 178 00:11:23,480 --> 00:11:27,360 Speaker 1: forward to September fift this is when Thomas Eric Duncan, 179 00:11:28,040 --> 00:11:31,320 Speaker 1: who had previously helped a pregnant Ebola victim, get to 180 00:11:31,800 --> 00:11:35,920 Speaker 1: the hospital in Liberia. He leaves Liberia a few days 181 00:11:36,000 --> 00:11:38,400 Speaker 1: later for the US and then becomes the first person 182 00:11:38,640 --> 00:11:41,680 Speaker 1: to develop a bowl of symptoms in the US. After 183 00:11:41,720 --> 00:11:44,440 Speaker 1: he had been sent home from a Dallas hospital with antibiotics, 184 00:11:45,040 --> 00:11:47,360 Speaker 1: his health took a turn for the worst. He returns 185 00:11:47,400 --> 00:11:50,320 Speaker 1: to the hospital where he's ultimately diagnosed with a bola 186 00:11:50,520 --> 00:11:54,520 Speaker 1: and then he dies on October eighth, two thousand fourteen. 187 00:11:55,120 --> 00:11:58,360 Speaker 1: And this is also when the a bowl of panic 188 00:11:58,679 --> 00:12:01,880 Speaker 1: begins ramping up in the US as well, these questions 189 00:12:01,920 --> 00:12:05,480 Speaker 1: of how did this happen? How are you know? People 190 00:12:05,480 --> 00:12:08,240 Speaker 1: are flying to the US, what's going on? And also 191 00:12:08,280 --> 00:12:11,280 Speaker 1: the fact that this is the first e bowla casualty 192 00:12:11,360 --> 00:12:14,880 Speaker 1: on US soil, because we should note that right Bowl 193 00:12:14,920 --> 00:12:18,839 Speaker 1: and Brantley had already recovered and been released from Emory, right, 194 00:12:18,920 --> 00:12:22,320 Speaker 1: and so Duncan's death creates the spiral. Like Kristen said, 195 00:12:22,320 --> 00:12:24,000 Speaker 1: there was definitely a panic going on, but there were 196 00:12:24,040 --> 00:12:28,360 Speaker 1: also actually real consequences for other people involved. Um the 197 00:12:28,440 --> 00:12:31,880 Speaker 1: nurses who cared for Duncan in the worst of his 198 00:12:32,120 --> 00:12:34,880 Speaker 1: disease during his high risk period when he's vomiting and 199 00:12:34,920 --> 00:12:39,559 Speaker 1: having diarrhea, Nina Fam and Amber Vincent both contract ebola 200 00:12:39,640 --> 00:12:43,280 Speaker 1: and both are treated. Vincent has flown to Atlanta to 201 00:12:43,280 --> 00:12:46,040 Speaker 1: go to emery and Nina Fam has flown to a 202 00:12:46,040 --> 00:12:49,560 Speaker 1: facility in Maryland. Both recover. They become the fifth and 203 00:12:49,679 --> 00:12:54,040 Speaker 1: sixth American abola patients to recover. And so of course 204 00:12:54,080 --> 00:12:57,800 Speaker 1: this leads to a lot of news media craziness, lots 205 00:12:57,800 --> 00:13:00,800 Speaker 1: of speculation and conjecture over whether we're about to have, 206 00:13:01,240 --> 00:13:05,400 Speaker 1: you know, a giant worldwide pandemic. Yeah, and all of 207 00:13:05,440 --> 00:13:09,360 Speaker 1: this leads us up to late October UM after Dr 208 00:13:09,440 --> 00:13:14,720 Speaker 1: Craig Spencer has flown back home from Guinea to New York. Um, 209 00:13:14,760 --> 00:13:19,120 Speaker 1: as was repeated in every single UH media story about him, 210 00:13:19,160 --> 00:13:21,320 Speaker 1: he went bowling in Brooklyn and then developed the bowl 211 00:13:21,360 --> 00:13:24,880 Speaker 1: of symptoms where he was diagnosed, and so the panic 212 00:13:24,920 --> 00:13:27,640 Speaker 1: was reaching a fever pitch here to the point that 213 00:13:27,760 --> 00:13:30,760 Speaker 1: on October twenty four, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and 214 00:13:30,840 --> 00:13:33,840 Speaker 1: New Jersey Governor Chris Christie announced a mandatory twenty one 215 00:13:33,880 --> 00:13:37,280 Speaker 1: day quarantine in New York and New Jersey for anyone 216 00:13:37,320 --> 00:13:40,640 Speaker 1: returning from West African countries. And by this point as well, 217 00:13:41,080 --> 00:13:44,800 Speaker 1: UM at airports, the airports that were still open in 218 00:13:44,840 --> 00:13:48,320 Speaker 1: West Africa, and obviously UM the airports in the US, 219 00:13:48,800 --> 00:13:53,320 Speaker 1: we're already doing mandatory screening of anyone flying back from 220 00:13:53,360 --> 00:13:58,559 Speaker 1: impacted areas. UM. And the thing about it is, this 221 00:13:58,600 --> 00:14:01,520 Speaker 1: is also when we start hearing too from a lot 222 00:14:01,559 --> 00:14:05,640 Speaker 1: of American nurses who are very concerned about how they 223 00:14:05,679 --> 00:14:08,480 Speaker 1: will be impacted. UM. This is when we start seeing 224 00:14:08,520 --> 00:14:12,720 Speaker 1: more information about this gender angle of a bola. Not 225 00:14:12,800 --> 00:14:17,280 Speaker 1: to pit male doctors against female nurses, but it is notable, 226 00:14:17,360 --> 00:14:20,040 Speaker 1: for instance, that a lot of the nurses that have 227 00:14:20,120 --> 00:14:22,200 Speaker 1: been affected, and a lot of the nurses speaking up 228 00:14:22,200 --> 00:14:24,480 Speaker 1: on behalf of nurses saying we need more training, we 229 00:14:24,520 --> 00:14:28,120 Speaker 1: need more resources, um, have been women as well, simply 230 00:14:28,160 --> 00:14:33,760 Speaker 1: because nurses tend it's an industry more dominated by women. UM. 231 00:14:33,800 --> 00:14:37,520 Speaker 1: But that's only that's talking state side. While all this 232 00:14:37,600 --> 00:14:40,360 Speaker 1: is going on, while there are still fewer than you know, 233 00:14:40,480 --> 00:14:44,160 Speaker 1: a dozen of BOLA cases in the US, as of 234 00:14:44,360 --> 00:14:49,520 Speaker 1: early November, the World Health Organization estimated that there were 235 00:14:49,560 --> 00:14:52,640 Speaker 1: four thousand, nine hundred fifty one dead in West Africa 236 00:14:52,840 --> 00:14:56,760 Speaker 1: from a bola out of thirteen thousand, five hundred sixty 237 00:14:56,840 --> 00:15:00,880 Speaker 1: seven documented cases. However, the head of doctor is Without Borders, 238 00:15:01,000 --> 00:15:03,560 Speaker 1: which again Caroline you noted that they have sort of 239 00:15:03,640 --> 00:15:06,360 Speaker 1: been on top of this even before the World Health 240 00:15:06,440 --> 00:15:09,760 Speaker 1: Organization started paying closer attention. The head of the of 241 00:15:09,800 --> 00:15:13,360 Speaker 1: Doctors Without Borders said that actually, these numbers are are 242 00:15:13,400 --> 00:15:17,240 Speaker 1: probably being vastly under reported. For instance, since Cerra Leone, 243 00:15:17,360 --> 00:15:20,560 Speaker 1: entire villages have been wiped out because it's so aggressive, 244 00:15:21,000 --> 00:15:23,080 Speaker 1: and he says that the the SMIs could be as 245 00:15:23,160 --> 00:15:26,960 Speaker 1: high as twenty people dead due to this, which I 246 00:15:27,000 --> 00:15:29,880 Speaker 1: think only goes to show too how much we're still 247 00:15:30,360 --> 00:15:34,640 Speaker 1: learning about this, right and goes back to again our 248 00:15:34,720 --> 00:15:38,600 Speaker 1: Western biases of only really tracking what's going on in 249 00:15:38,600 --> 00:15:42,320 Speaker 1: our own country exactly. And we wanted to give you 250 00:15:42,360 --> 00:15:46,040 Speaker 1: this primer on the e bowlavirus to then lead up 251 00:15:46,080 --> 00:15:49,440 Speaker 1: to why we're going to focus on women and why 252 00:15:49,520 --> 00:15:53,760 Speaker 1: it is that women, especially in West African and also 253 00:15:53,840 --> 00:15:56,840 Speaker 1: in American hospitals where a lot of the nurses are women, 254 00:15:57,440 --> 00:16:02,400 Speaker 1: why they are at particular risk for contracting this disease 255 00:16:02,400 --> 00:16:06,440 Speaker 1: and other similar kinds of pandemics, and we'll talk about 256 00:16:06,440 --> 00:16:15,720 Speaker 1: that when we come right back from a quick break. Okay, 257 00:16:15,720 --> 00:16:17,400 Speaker 1: So before the break, we presented you with a lot 258 00:16:17,400 --> 00:16:20,880 Speaker 1: of information about the current ebola outbreak and the crisis 259 00:16:20,920 --> 00:16:24,440 Speaker 1: and where it came from. Um and Kristen had started 260 00:16:24,480 --> 00:16:28,720 Speaker 1: delving into the issue of the gender division in terms 261 00:16:28,880 --> 00:16:32,200 Speaker 1: of who is being affected the most by ebola, and 262 00:16:32,440 --> 00:16:35,480 Speaker 1: we do know that women are being hit harder by 263 00:16:35,520 --> 00:16:40,240 Speaker 1: this outbreak. Women account for fifty five to six of 264 00:16:40,480 --> 00:16:43,440 Speaker 1: the deceased in the current epidemic in Liberia, Guinea, and 265 00:16:43,480 --> 00:16:46,800 Speaker 1: Sierra Leone, and that's coming from UNI SEF And in July, 266 00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:50,920 Speaker 1: for instance, health teams in Liberia said of those who 267 00:16:50,920 --> 00:16:54,160 Speaker 1: were infected or died from ebola were women, and so 268 00:16:54,560 --> 00:16:57,160 Speaker 1: that's established. We understand that these numbers are higher for 269 00:16:57,160 --> 00:17:00,640 Speaker 1: women that for men. But why what's going on? Well, 270 00:17:00,680 --> 00:17:04,280 Speaker 1: it turns out that men are likelier to be hit first, 271 00:17:04,400 --> 00:17:07,760 Speaker 1: largely due to what we were talking about earlier and 272 00:17:07,840 --> 00:17:12,560 Speaker 1: how animals are the disease vectors, and as men are 273 00:17:12,600 --> 00:17:15,960 Speaker 1: often the hunters, they might come into contact with it 274 00:17:16,080 --> 00:17:20,679 Speaker 1: first through hunting infected animals UM, but then women become 275 00:17:20,760 --> 00:17:27,080 Speaker 1: disproportionately affected, largely due to gender roles at its most 276 00:17:27,119 --> 00:17:30,480 Speaker 1: basic UM. This is something that Liberia's Minister for Gender 277 00:17:30,480 --> 00:17:34,359 Speaker 1: and Development, Julia Duncan Castle, has talked about UM. She said, 278 00:17:34,480 --> 00:17:37,440 Speaker 1: women are the caregivers. If a kid is sick, they say, 279 00:17:37,480 --> 00:17:40,439 Speaker 1: go to your mom. The cross border trade women go 280 00:17:40,520 --> 00:17:44,480 Speaker 1: to Guinea and Sierra Leone for weekly markets and they're 281 00:17:44,520 --> 00:17:49,760 Speaker 1: also the caregivers. We mentioned earlier the risk of contracting 282 00:17:50,080 --> 00:17:54,159 Speaker 1: a bola through burial practices, and those burial practices and 283 00:17:54,240 --> 00:17:59,040 Speaker 1: funeral rites are often led by women right and women 284 00:17:59,080 --> 00:18:02,919 Speaker 1: are also the traditional birth attendants, nurses and cleaners and 285 00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:06,359 Speaker 1: laundry workers in hospitals as well. And it's interesting to 286 00:18:06,359 --> 00:18:09,199 Speaker 1: note too that the gender divisions that exist in the 287 00:18:09,240 --> 00:18:13,840 Speaker 1: home also extend into the hospital. Uh Sufia to tunis 288 00:18:13,880 --> 00:18:17,040 Speaker 1: a spokesperson for the Community Response Group in Sierra Leone 289 00:18:17,119 --> 00:18:20,280 Speaker 1: and who was also a leader of the Social Mobilization Committee. 290 00:18:20,240 --> 00:18:23,440 Speaker 1: An Ebola was also talking about this issue of how 291 00:18:23,520 --> 00:18:26,600 Speaker 1: women are the primary caregivers at home. They take care 292 00:18:26,600 --> 00:18:28,720 Speaker 1: of the sick, They cook for the sick and clean 293 00:18:28,800 --> 00:18:31,399 Speaker 1: up after them, and she says that this role is 294 00:18:31,440 --> 00:18:34,840 Speaker 1: extended to the medical field, where women are most of 295 00:18:34,880 --> 00:18:38,200 Speaker 1: the nurses and cleaners, and they don't get the same 296 00:18:38,240 --> 00:18:42,639 Speaker 1: support and protection as the doctors, who are primarily men. Well, 297 00:18:42,680 --> 00:18:44,800 Speaker 1: and it was also it might have been Tunis who 298 00:18:44,880 --> 00:18:48,200 Speaker 1: was saying that if at home, for instance, if the 299 00:18:48,280 --> 00:18:51,640 Speaker 1: woman gets sick, other women will come and take care 300 00:18:51,640 --> 00:18:55,040 Speaker 1: of her. It's not that the husband will assume the 301 00:18:55,080 --> 00:18:59,560 Speaker 1: female duties. Um. And this is the same pattern from 302 00:18:59,560 --> 00:19:03,880 Speaker 1: the Origin nine nine outbreak in Sedan, for instance, sixty 303 00:19:04,760 --> 00:19:07,640 Speaker 1: of those affected were women, according to you a two 304 00:19:07,640 --> 00:19:11,879 Speaker 1: thousand seven report by the World Health Organization. And this 305 00:19:12,040 --> 00:19:16,280 Speaker 1: becomes an even bigger health crisis when pregnancy is added 306 00:19:16,320 --> 00:19:20,560 Speaker 1: to the equation. And in fact, our major inspiration for 307 00:19:21,040 --> 00:19:24,520 Speaker 1: wanting to delve more into this topic in this podcast 308 00:19:24,920 --> 00:19:28,720 Speaker 1: is from a New Yorker article about um the particular 309 00:19:29,119 --> 00:19:34,200 Speaker 1: risk of being pregnant with abola. Right, it's it sounds 310 00:19:34,440 --> 00:19:38,520 Speaker 1: absolutely horrific, and it is scary enough to be pregnant, 311 00:19:38,600 --> 00:19:42,320 Speaker 1: but to then experience eubola, it adds so much terror 312 00:19:42,359 --> 00:19:47,000 Speaker 1: to the experience. UM. So, basically, when a woman is pregnant, 313 00:19:47,680 --> 00:19:50,760 Speaker 1: her body has a special immune response to the fetus 314 00:19:50,800 --> 00:19:53,000 Speaker 1: and it knocks it down a few notches to help 315 00:19:53,040 --> 00:19:57,760 Speaker 1: protect this growing thing inside of it. But that means 316 00:19:57,800 --> 00:20:00,320 Speaker 1: that what's good for the fetus is not as good 317 00:20:00,320 --> 00:20:03,080 Speaker 1: for the mother because she can't fight off infection as well. 318 00:20:03,200 --> 00:20:06,400 Speaker 1: And so if a woman, if a pregnant woman contracts ebola, 319 00:20:06,560 --> 00:20:09,440 Speaker 1: that has a lot of terrible things that can go 320 00:20:09,520 --> 00:20:11,879 Speaker 1: along with it. For instance, just one thing is that 321 00:20:11,960 --> 00:20:16,520 Speaker 1: the ebola infection can cause spontaneous abortion. And when a 322 00:20:16,560 --> 00:20:19,760 Speaker 1: pregnant woman with ebola goes into labor, they end up 323 00:20:19,760 --> 00:20:23,479 Speaker 1: bleeding a lot, and her sweat, her blood, and her 324 00:20:23,520 --> 00:20:27,080 Speaker 1: amniotic fluid are all highly infectious, which is bad for her, 325 00:20:27,200 --> 00:20:29,080 Speaker 1: it's bad for her baby, and it's bad for any 326 00:20:29,080 --> 00:20:31,600 Speaker 1: healthcare workers try to take care of her. Right when 327 00:20:31,600 --> 00:20:34,600 Speaker 1: you go to West Africa, pregnant women with ebola are 328 00:20:34,640 --> 00:20:38,800 Speaker 1: often turned away from the standard of bowl awards at hospitals, 329 00:20:38,960 --> 00:20:43,240 Speaker 1: not only due to overcrowding, but because of the higher 330 00:20:43,280 --> 00:20:48,280 Speaker 1: infection risk that she poses not only to other patients, 331 00:20:48,280 --> 00:20:51,560 Speaker 1: but also to the healthcare workers who often have to 332 00:20:51,600 --> 00:20:57,040 Speaker 1: weigh giving her the resources and medicine and treatment or 333 00:20:57,080 --> 00:21:01,159 Speaker 1: giving it to someone who is not pregnant likelier to 334 00:21:01,320 --> 00:21:04,800 Speaker 1: survive because not only is a pregnant woman likelier to 335 00:21:04,960 --> 00:21:09,480 Speaker 1: succumb to a bola, but also likelier to almost take 336 00:21:10,440 --> 00:21:13,760 Speaker 1: hospital workers with her. Yeah, but then there's the whole 337 00:21:13,800 --> 00:21:18,920 Speaker 1: self perpetuating idea that, you know, maybe if a pregnant 338 00:21:18,920 --> 00:21:24,119 Speaker 1: woman were provided with really really good resources and medicine 339 00:21:24,160 --> 00:21:28,640 Speaker 1: and medical care, that she could overcome it. But because 340 00:21:28,680 --> 00:21:32,440 Speaker 1: people already have this belief that, oh, well, she's pregnant, 341 00:21:32,480 --> 00:21:35,040 Speaker 1: she's going to get us all sick, they're less likely 342 00:21:35,080 --> 00:21:37,640 Speaker 1: to treat her, which means, of course pregnant women are 343 00:21:37,680 --> 00:21:40,960 Speaker 1: more likely to suffer and die. And this story that 344 00:21:41,000 --> 00:21:44,800 Speaker 1: we were reading said that overall, only time will tell 345 00:21:45,240 --> 00:21:49,360 Speaker 1: as far as rates of pregnant women recovering versus not, 346 00:21:49,840 --> 00:21:53,480 Speaker 1: because some health care workers overwhelmed by this current situation 347 00:21:53,560 --> 00:21:56,000 Speaker 1: might not even record whether a patient is pregnant or 348 00:21:56,000 --> 00:21:58,440 Speaker 1: not well. And we should also notice and we should 349 00:21:58,440 --> 00:22:01,560 Speaker 1: also note too that in the very limited studies that 350 00:22:01,560 --> 00:22:04,800 Speaker 1: have been done on women pregnant women with a BOWLA, 351 00:22:05,000 --> 00:22:09,480 Speaker 1: the mortality rate for um their fetuses, even if they 352 00:22:09,520 --> 00:22:14,119 Speaker 1: deliver our carry a child to term and deliver, the 353 00:22:14,400 --> 00:22:17,560 Speaker 1: mortality rates are extremely high. There was only one in 354 00:22:17,640 --> 00:22:20,119 Speaker 1: one study there was only one case of a woman 355 00:22:20,320 --> 00:22:25,520 Speaker 1: delivering um a live baby, and the baby then went 356 00:22:25,560 --> 00:22:29,120 Speaker 1: on to die a few days later, just because it's 357 00:22:29,200 --> 00:22:32,760 Speaker 1: immune system had already been so compromised. Um. And you 358 00:22:32,800 --> 00:22:34,520 Speaker 1: also have to keep in mind too that in the 359 00:22:34,560 --> 00:22:40,119 Speaker 1: context of West Africa, this is an area where women 360 00:22:40,240 --> 00:22:45,560 Speaker 1: might not be getting a good prenatal care to begin with, because, 361 00:22:45,600 --> 00:22:48,879 Speaker 1: like we said earlier, getting sier Leone and Liberia have 362 00:22:48,920 --> 00:22:52,119 Speaker 1: all been highly susceptible to a bowl of spreading so 363 00:22:52,160 --> 00:22:57,160 Speaker 1: aggressively because it didn't have a lot of strong health 364 00:22:57,160 --> 00:22:59,879 Speaker 1: care infrastructure in place to begin with, and that it 365 00:23:00,160 --> 00:23:04,639 Speaker 1: sends to maternal healthcare in the region as well. Yeah, 366 00:23:04,680 --> 00:23:09,000 Speaker 1: and so basically, um, any any advances that these countries 367 00:23:09,040 --> 00:23:11,080 Speaker 1: and their health systems were making and being able to 368 00:23:11,119 --> 00:23:16,440 Speaker 1: provide prenatal care, um care for infants, it's all sort 369 00:23:16,440 --> 00:23:19,000 Speaker 1: of taken a back seat to the Cibola outbreak because 370 00:23:19,080 --> 00:23:21,520 Speaker 1: all of a sudden, any resources that were being put 371 00:23:21,600 --> 00:23:25,480 Speaker 1: towards pregnant women and families and infants, everything is being 372 00:23:25,760 --> 00:23:30,560 Speaker 1: focused now on Ebola. Every every reward at every hospital 373 00:23:30,560 --> 00:23:33,919 Speaker 1: almost is being turned into any bowl award. UM. And so, 374 00:23:34,119 --> 00:23:36,280 Speaker 1: like we said, many healthy pregnant women aren't even able 375 00:23:36,280 --> 00:23:37,919 Speaker 1: to get to the hospital if they need to deliver. 376 00:23:38,240 --> 00:23:42,040 Speaker 1: And UM Dr Emmanuel dark Court, the senior Health director 377 00:23:42,040 --> 00:23:45,720 Speaker 1: at the International Rescue Committee, was really lamenting this situation 378 00:23:45,880 --> 00:23:48,399 Speaker 1: and said, there are so many ways we as a 379 00:23:48,400 --> 00:23:51,199 Speaker 1: global community have failed pregnant women who play such an 380 00:23:51,200 --> 00:23:54,480 Speaker 1: important role in society. We all have a responsibility in 381 00:23:54,520 --> 00:23:56,560 Speaker 1: a way for their safety, and we have failed in 382 00:23:56,600 --> 00:24:01,199 Speaker 1: so many ways. And a bowlah disproportion only affecting women 383 00:24:01,520 --> 00:24:07,320 Speaker 1: has broader reaching effects than simply more women dying. UM 384 00:24:07,359 --> 00:24:11,919 Speaker 1: Serial leone First Lady Saia Nayama Coromo talked about how 385 00:24:11,960 --> 00:24:16,440 Speaker 1: in rural areas where the majority of small holder farmers 386 00:24:16,440 --> 00:24:20,480 Speaker 1: are women, food production can be affected. And on top 387 00:24:20,520 --> 00:24:22,960 Speaker 1: of that, the border restrictions that are being put in 388 00:24:23,000 --> 00:24:26,480 Speaker 1: place to try to slow the spread of a bola 389 00:24:26,680 --> 00:24:31,040 Speaker 1: that is then affecting these cross bordered traders, a majority 390 00:24:31,040 --> 00:24:33,919 Speaker 1: of whom are women, making it difficult for them to 391 00:24:34,160 --> 00:24:38,320 Speaker 1: provide for their families. And if we look at the 392 00:24:38,359 --> 00:24:42,480 Speaker 1: idea of disease in general affecting women, UM Julie L. 393 00:24:42,560 --> 00:24:45,440 Speaker 1: Gerbert Ing, who's the former director of the CDC, read 394 00:24:45,480 --> 00:24:48,880 Speaker 1: a paper called Women and Infectious Diseases where she said 395 00:24:48,920 --> 00:24:52,040 Speaker 1: that the social, economic, and psychological effects of disease are 396 00:24:52,080 --> 00:24:54,720 Speaker 1: more severe for women. When their partners or fathers die, 397 00:24:54,800 --> 00:24:58,120 Speaker 1: women often lose economic rights. She points to a Ugandan 398 00:24:58,119 --> 00:25:00,320 Speaker 1: survey that found that one in four widows or reported 399 00:25:00,400 --> 00:25:03,000 Speaker 1: losing their property after their partner died, so that ties 400 00:25:03,040 --> 00:25:05,639 Speaker 1: in with the whole issue of cross border trade, of 401 00:25:05,640 --> 00:25:10,760 Speaker 1: women having a major economic role in the family, and sadly, 402 00:25:10,800 --> 00:25:14,480 Speaker 1: as Garbing points out, this is this wholy Bullock crisis 403 00:25:14,480 --> 00:25:16,800 Speaker 1: and its effects on women is part of a much 404 00:25:16,920 --> 00:25:21,159 Speaker 1: bigger picture of infectious diseases like this tending to hit 405 00:25:21,200 --> 00:25:25,960 Speaker 1: women harder. Speaking to Foreign Policy magazine, JOHNS. Hopkins University 406 00:25:25,960 --> 00:25:30,520 Speaker 1: professor Soberklin said that we take note of the gender division, 407 00:25:30,880 --> 00:25:35,560 Speaker 1: but so few people actually do anything with that information 408 00:25:35,800 --> 00:25:41,439 Speaker 1: because doing something would mean consciously evaluating what happens in 409 00:25:41,480 --> 00:25:45,679 Speaker 1: an outbreak or any health crisis through a gender lens, 410 00:25:45,760 --> 00:25:50,000 Speaker 1: which then would lead to the need for more focused 411 00:25:50,040 --> 00:25:55,200 Speaker 1: on these systemic problems. These systemic issues that lead up 412 00:25:55,280 --> 00:26:01,360 Speaker 1: to perhaps gender disupport, disproportionate um faced palities that might 413 00:26:01,400 --> 00:26:05,159 Speaker 1: include things like women's unequal access to adequate healthcare, or 414 00:26:05,200 --> 00:26:07,760 Speaker 1: the finances or the fact that they might not be 415 00:26:08,080 --> 00:26:10,520 Speaker 1: first in line for treatment, or that they might be 416 00:26:10,880 --> 00:26:13,040 Speaker 1: or that men might be prioritized, I should say, over 417 00:26:13,119 --> 00:26:16,520 Speaker 1: them for treatment. So in short, it would, it would. 418 00:26:16,920 --> 00:26:22,200 Speaker 1: It requires far more than just say finding a vaccine 419 00:26:22,320 --> 00:26:25,480 Speaker 1: or something, you know, one simple step, right. And Klein 420 00:26:25,600 --> 00:26:27,560 Speaker 1: also points out what Kristy and I have mentioned on 421 00:26:27,600 --> 00:26:30,679 Speaker 1: the podcast a few times, which is that we have 422 00:26:30,760 --> 00:26:33,879 Speaker 1: a history, uh in our in our history of medicine 423 00:26:34,080 --> 00:26:37,400 Speaker 1: and research and medical research of focusing just on men 424 00:26:37,480 --> 00:26:40,600 Speaker 1: and how a disease affects men and how a treatment 425 00:26:40,600 --> 00:26:44,520 Speaker 1: affects men, and we really as a as a global 426 00:26:44,640 --> 00:26:48,200 Speaker 1: community almost need to take into account a disease is 427 00:26:48,240 --> 00:26:52,000 Speaker 1: biological components and the differences in how men and women 428 00:26:52,240 --> 00:26:55,359 Speaker 1: respond to a disease. So you're basically saying both sex 429 00:26:55,400 --> 00:26:59,240 Speaker 1: differences and gender differences have to be taken account taken 430 00:26:59,240 --> 00:27:03,000 Speaker 1: into account when and you look at diseases, and so, 431 00:27:03,280 --> 00:27:08,320 Speaker 1: you know, Kristen mentioned, in quoting Klient and Foreign Policy Magazine, 432 00:27:08,800 --> 00:27:12,600 Speaker 1: the whole issue of maybe men being prioritized over women 433 00:27:12,640 --> 00:27:14,879 Speaker 1: in terms of getting care, and this is kind of 434 00:27:14,920 --> 00:27:19,320 Speaker 1: something that Columbia University epidemiology professor Wafa El Sader also 435 00:27:19,480 --> 00:27:22,560 Speaker 1: said to foreign policy. He said that looking at who 436 00:27:22,600 --> 00:27:25,119 Speaker 1: dies in an outbreak quote shows you who has power 437 00:27:25,200 --> 00:27:27,359 Speaker 1: and who doesn't. In a way, it holds a mirror 438 00:27:27,440 --> 00:27:31,080 Speaker 1: to society, and it shows societies how they treat each other. 439 00:27:31,560 --> 00:27:35,240 Speaker 1: And it extends not only to lay women, but also 440 00:27:35,400 --> 00:27:39,800 Speaker 1: to nurses who are primarily female worldwide, but also are 441 00:27:39,840 --> 00:27:43,320 Speaker 1: often low on the totem pole. And like I said earlier, 442 00:27:43,359 --> 00:27:47,840 Speaker 1: we've been hearing a lot from leaders of nurses unions 443 00:27:47,840 --> 00:27:51,480 Speaker 1: and associations in the United States asking for more resources 444 00:27:51,480 --> 00:27:54,960 Speaker 1: on the ground here. Um, nor is it just limited 445 00:27:55,040 --> 00:27:58,600 Speaker 1: to a bull in the same way as this gender 446 00:27:58,640 --> 00:28:02,040 Speaker 1: issue applies to other pandemics as well. Um. There were 447 00:28:02,119 --> 00:28:05,760 Speaker 1: some Canadian studies conducted on the two thousand three Stars 448 00:28:05,800 --> 00:28:08,800 Speaker 1: outbreak and it found that quote a lack of power 449 00:28:08,880 --> 00:28:14,400 Speaker 1: and influence of nurses was linked to infection control deficiencies. 450 00:28:14,720 --> 00:28:19,520 Speaker 1: And similarly, a two thousand eleven World Health Organization report said, 451 00:28:19,640 --> 00:28:23,520 Speaker 1: quote research has shown that poor nurse physician relationships are 452 00:28:23,560 --> 00:28:27,120 Speaker 1: common in hospital settings, pose a potential threat to patients safety, 453 00:28:27,119 --> 00:28:30,440 Speaker 1: including the risk of infections, and have a negative impact 454 00:28:30,720 --> 00:28:34,320 Speaker 1: on nurse satisfaction and retention. And that quote right there 455 00:28:34,359 --> 00:28:36,440 Speaker 1: from the report sounds like a summary of a lot 456 00:28:36,480 --> 00:28:40,160 Speaker 1: of what we've been hearing in terms of UM nurses 457 00:28:40,200 --> 00:28:43,080 Speaker 1: asking for help right now, right because when you look 458 00:28:43,080 --> 00:28:45,600 Speaker 1: back at Nina fam and Amber Vincent, the nurses at 459 00:28:45,600 --> 00:28:49,400 Speaker 1: the Dallas hospital where Duncan died, I mean, they did 460 00:28:49,440 --> 00:28:52,440 Speaker 1: not receive proper training. They didn't really know what was 461 00:28:52,480 --> 00:28:55,240 Speaker 1: going on basically, I mean ebola was something brand new 462 00:28:55,800 --> 00:28:59,840 Speaker 1: to western hospitals. UM, having someone suffered from those types 463 00:28:59,840 --> 00:29:02,400 Speaker 1: of symtoms, they just weren't prepared for it. UM. But 464 00:29:02,480 --> 00:29:05,160 Speaker 1: of course, you know, we've we've talked about how ebola 465 00:29:05,240 --> 00:29:09,920 Speaker 1: affects pregnant women, and pregnant women also are so badly 466 00:29:09,960 --> 00:29:14,280 Speaker 1: affected in by infectious diseases in general. UM. For instance, 467 00:29:14,320 --> 00:29:16,760 Speaker 1: in two thousand nine, during the H one and one 468 00:29:16,840 --> 00:29:22,600 Speaker 1: influenza pandemic here in the US, of infected pregnant women died, 469 00:29:23,160 --> 00:29:26,040 Speaker 1: whereas the mortality rate for the rest of the population 470 00:29:26,400 --> 00:29:31,200 Speaker 1: was just point oh two percent. And several other infectious 471 00:29:31,200 --> 00:29:35,720 Speaker 1: diseases like malaria, hepatitis, tuberculosis, and loss of fever have 472 00:29:35,920 --> 00:29:39,200 Speaker 1: been reported to be more severe in pregnant women. So 473 00:29:39,240 --> 00:29:42,600 Speaker 1: clearly more attention is needed, and not only attention, but 474 00:29:42,680 --> 00:29:46,160 Speaker 1: also action um. But one important thing to talk about 475 00:29:46,160 --> 00:29:49,160 Speaker 1: two before we close is the fact that, yes, women 476 00:29:49,200 --> 00:29:53,240 Speaker 1: are being disproportionately affected, but women also to have a 477 00:29:53,360 --> 00:30:01,240 Speaker 1: very strong role in possibly limiting this outbreak and stoping um, 478 00:30:01,400 --> 00:30:06,560 Speaker 1: this pandemic because again that actually relates back to gender 479 00:30:06,640 --> 00:30:09,400 Speaker 1: roles and divisions. UM. There was an article about this 480 00:30:09,480 --> 00:30:13,880 Speaker 1: in the Washington Post recently talking about how women in 481 00:30:13,960 --> 00:30:18,320 Speaker 1: West Africa play a major role as the conduits of 482 00:30:18,360 --> 00:30:22,960 Speaker 1: information in their communities um, and they are often being 483 00:30:23,080 --> 00:30:27,400 Speaker 1: enlisted as leaders in public health campaigns to spread awareness 484 00:30:27,440 --> 00:30:30,720 Speaker 1: about the disease in terms of you know, if someone 485 00:30:30,840 --> 00:30:33,840 Speaker 1: is sick in your home and caring for them and 486 00:30:33,840 --> 00:30:37,680 Speaker 1: and laundering dirty linen's and how they deal with the 487 00:30:37,720 --> 00:30:40,520 Speaker 1: burial practice, all those kinds of things. It's the women 488 00:30:40,960 --> 00:30:44,360 Speaker 1: who are being relied on as the gatekeepers of that 489 00:30:44,480 --> 00:30:48,160 Speaker 1: crucial information. Right. So it's interesting to see how that 490 00:30:48,960 --> 00:30:53,600 Speaker 1: reliance on traditional gender roles and roles in society maybe 491 00:30:53,920 --> 00:30:57,920 Speaker 1: affects women more leads to more women contracting the disease, 492 00:30:57,920 --> 00:31:00,920 Speaker 1: but it can also provide a solution, and people haven't 493 00:31:00,920 --> 00:31:03,760 Speaker 1: always grasped that. Again, this is coming from Foreign Policy 494 00:31:03,800 --> 00:31:07,560 Speaker 1: Magazine where they talk about how in one previous Ebola outbreak. 495 00:31:08,000 --> 00:31:12,280 Speaker 1: One anecdotal reports said that men were dominating informational meetings 496 00:31:12,280 --> 00:31:14,960 Speaker 1: on the disease, despite the fact that women were already 497 00:31:15,000 --> 00:31:18,600 Speaker 1: known to be the primary caregivers, and during one of 498 00:31:18,640 --> 00:31:22,480 Speaker 1: the Avian flu outbreaks, government officials were dealing with men 499 00:31:22,640 --> 00:31:25,000 Speaker 1: because they thought that, hey, these men have to be 500 00:31:25,040 --> 00:31:28,000 Speaker 1: the owners of the farms, right, despite the fact that 501 00:31:28,040 --> 00:31:30,400 Speaker 1: women were the ones doing the majority of the work 502 00:31:30,440 --> 00:31:34,280 Speaker 1: with animals in their backyard farms. Yeah. I think that 503 00:31:34,640 --> 00:31:37,120 Speaker 1: Julie Gerberding, who is the former director of the CDC, 504 00:31:38,000 --> 00:31:43,960 Speaker 1: really summed it up most effectively. Beyond Ebola, um, she said, 505 00:31:44,000 --> 00:31:46,920 Speaker 1: you have to attack quote, the root causes of these 506 00:31:46,960 --> 00:31:51,640 Speaker 1: disparities social economic and educational inequalities that fuel the spread 507 00:31:51,680 --> 00:31:56,400 Speaker 1: of diseases and perpetuate poverty throughout the world. And this 508 00:31:56,520 --> 00:31:59,680 Speaker 1: kind of focus can be applied to so many things, 509 00:31:59,760 --> 00:32:03,360 Speaker 1: even and you know, like she said, even beyond healthcare 510 00:32:03,600 --> 00:32:09,760 Speaker 1: crises like this. Um. So hopefully some of these tragic 511 00:32:09,840 --> 00:32:14,120 Speaker 1: but crucial lessons can be taken from the Sabola crisis. 512 00:32:14,200 --> 00:32:16,640 Speaker 1: I mean, it is a big question mark though, because 513 00:32:16,680 --> 00:32:23,720 Speaker 1: everyone is in such understandably emergency mode. It's like these are. 514 00:32:24,160 --> 00:32:26,560 Speaker 1: We almost barely have time to even talk about it, 515 00:32:27,600 --> 00:32:30,520 Speaker 1: so at this point only time will tell which is 516 00:32:30,720 --> 00:32:35,080 Speaker 1: which is scary, absolutely, but there are. It is heartening 517 00:32:35,160 --> 00:32:37,280 Speaker 1: to know that there are a lot of people though, 518 00:32:37,360 --> 00:32:40,120 Speaker 1: on the ground who are paying attention to this, and 519 00:32:40,160 --> 00:32:44,080 Speaker 1: hopefully for listeners who aren't in West Africa who might 520 00:32:44,120 --> 00:32:48,040 Speaker 1: not have direct contact with people affected by the virus 521 00:32:48,120 --> 00:32:52,040 Speaker 1: or people who are working to fight the virus, hopefully 522 00:32:52,040 --> 00:32:58,200 Speaker 1: this can add more of a deeper understanding to the 523 00:32:58,200 --> 00:33:00,640 Speaker 1: news coverage that we do see about it. And if 524 00:33:00,720 --> 00:33:03,120 Speaker 1: you do have a connection though, to what we really 525 00:33:03,160 --> 00:33:07,160 Speaker 1: want to hear from you about this issue. Mom Stuff 526 00:33:07,160 --> 00:33:09,360 Speaker 1: at how stuffworks dot Com is where you can email us. 527 00:33:09,400 --> 00:33:12,480 Speaker 1: You can also tweet us at Mom's Stuff podcast or 528 00:33:12,560 --> 00:33:15,720 Speaker 1: messages on Facebook, and we've got a couple of messages 529 00:33:15,760 --> 00:33:22,760 Speaker 1: to share with you right now. So I've got a 530 00:33:22,760 --> 00:33:27,040 Speaker 1: message here from Sarah about our episode on the Golden Girls, 531 00:33:27,120 --> 00:33:30,240 Speaker 1: and she writes, I first watched Golden Girls a few 532 00:33:30,320 --> 00:33:32,600 Speaker 1: years ago when I was doing part time caretaking work 533 00:33:32,640 --> 00:33:35,600 Speaker 1: for a woman with early onset Alzheimer's. I would go 534 00:33:35,640 --> 00:33:37,680 Speaker 1: to her house to make breakfast and lunch in the morning, 535 00:33:37,720 --> 00:33:40,080 Speaker 1: then come back in the evening to make dinner. We 536 00:33:40,120 --> 00:33:42,440 Speaker 1: did cross words together and went on walks, but as 537 00:33:42,480 --> 00:33:45,000 Speaker 1: her illness progressed, she really just wanted to watch TV. 538 00:33:45,800 --> 00:33:48,200 Speaker 1: The only thing that could really get her talking and 539 00:33:48,280 --> 00:33:52,400 Speaker 1: interacting with people was The Golden Girls. I would sneakily 540 00:33:52,440 --> 00:33:54,640 Speaker 1: get their remote and put the show on, and before 541 00:33:54,720 --> 00:33:57,040 Speaker 1: too long, she would be telling me all about the 542 00:33:57,120 --> 00:34:00,600 Speaker 1: various adventures she'd had as a teacher, as well as 543 00:34:00,600 --> 00:34:03,400 Speaker 1: some of the raunchy stories about her first and second husbands. 544 00:34:03,960 --> 00:34:05,760 Speaker 1: Over the course of my time with her, we watched 545 00:34:05,760 --> 00:34:08,880 Speaker 1: pretty much every episode of the show. I think Blanche 546 00:34:08,920 --> 00:34:11,359 Speaker 1: and Dorothy triggered some memories and helped her hold on 547 00:34:11,440 --> 00:34:13,840 Speaker 1: for just a little longer. Plus, when she got to 548 00:34:13,920 --> 00:34:16,239 Speaker 1: the point where she couldn't recall my name anymore, she 549 00:34:16,320 --> 00:34:19,279 Speaker 1: started calling me Sophia because she felt like I was 550 00:34:19,320 --> 00:34:23,440 Speaker 1: as sassy as a cell Getty's character. Unfortunately, her decline 551 00:34:23,480 --> 00:34:25,320 Speaker 1: was rapid. She had to be moved into a living 552 00:34:25,320 --> 00:34:28,600 Speaker 1: facility before too long, but she watched Golden Girls all 553 00:34:28,640 --> 00:34:31,560 Speaker 1: the way to the end. Beyond that, the Girls totally 554 00:34:31,640 --> 00:34:34,160 Speaker 1: changed how I planned my golden years. When I am 555 00:34:34,200 --> 00:34:36,560 Speaker 1: a certain age, I fully intend to become a Blanche 556 00:34:36,600 --> 00:34:39,880 Speaker 1: Sophia hybrid wearing slinky robes and la garie while dishing 557 00:34:39,880 --> 00:34:42,600 Speaker 1: out some serious sass. I'm not far off in that 558 00:34:42,680 --> 00:34:46,320 Speaker 1: lifestyle now, although usually I'm in stretchy pants dishing out sass. 559 00:34:46,560 --> 00:34:48,719 Speaker 1: I just need to get my robe game up and 560 00:34:48,760 --> 00:34:51,560 Speaker 1: I'm set. Thank you for a brilliant episode on a 561 00:34:51,560 --> 00:34:54,040 Speaker 1: wonderful show that it's been a huge part of changing 562 00:34:54,360 --> 00:34:57,520 Speaker 1: how my generation thinks about getting old. I adore the 563 00:34:57,520 --> 00:34:59,640 Speaker 1: show and will probably re listen to the episode with 564 00:34:59,680 --> 00:35:02,680 Speaker 1: a big slice of cheesecake in front of me, So 565 00:35:02,880 --> 00:35:05,759 Speaker 1: thank you, Sarah. Okay, I have a note here from 566 00:35:05,800 --> 00:35:09,720 Speaker 1: Maryanne about our Women of a Certain Age episode. Um. 567 00:35:09,760 --> 00:35:12,520 Speaker 1: She says, I get the I roll at the idea 568 00:35:12,560 --> 00:35:15,359 Speaker 1: of biology making it so women want sex more when 569 00:35:15,360 --> 00:35:18,120 Speaker 1: they reach a certain age. Would have thought that at 570 00:35:18,160 --> 00:35:20,560 Speaker 1: your age as well, But as I have hit the 571 00:35:20,640 --> 00:35:23,520 Speaker 1: over forty mark, I have to say biology is a thing, 572 00:35:23,640 --> 00:35:26,440 Speaker 1: and yeah, if there wasn't birth control, I would definitely 573 00:35:26,480 --> 00:35:28,319 Speaker 1: be more likely to have a baby now than I 574 00:35:28,400 --> 00:35:31,440 Speaker 1: was twenty years ago. More importantly, though, I felt you 575 00:35:31,480 --> 00:35:34,399 Speaker 1: missed one aspect of more mature women's sexuality and how 576 00:35:34,440 --> 00:35:37,920 Speaker 1: it is treated. Young women are more insecure and less experienced, 577 00:35:37,960 --> 00:35:41,719 Speaker 1: and therefore their sexuality is able to be controlled by men. Historically, 578 00:35:41,719 --> 00:35:44,080 Speaker 1: fathers passed them to husbands who kept them pregnant and 579 00:35:44,160 --> 00:35:47,920 Speaker 1: at home. Their sexuality is non threatening and enticing. But 580 00:35:47,960 --> 00:35:50,600 Speaker 1: as women mature they become more comfortable in their own skin, 581 00:35:50,920 --> 00:35:53,319 Speaker 1: They're less likely to become pregnant and are therefore able 582 00:35:53,320 --> 00:35:56,800 Speaker 1: to control their own sexuality. This is threatening. I believe 583 00:35:56,880 --> 00:35:59,120 Speaker 1: that in order to tamp down the possibility of these 584 00:35:59,120 --> 00:36:01,840 Speaker 1: more mature ladies getting out of hand, society has placed 585 00:36:01,840 --> 00:36:04,160 Speaker 1: to strong value on youth and shamed older women for 586 00:36:04,160 --> 00:36:07,360 Speaker 1: their sexual desires. On another note, I also wanted to 587 00:36:07,400 --> 00:36:09,600 Speaker 1: write a thank you for your episode on black women's 588 00:36:09,640 --> 00:36:12,400 Speaker 1: hair allowing that episode to go along with the right decision. 589 00:36:12,600 --> 00:36:14,800 Speaker 1: You always do a great job of handling diversity issues 590 00:36:14,840 --> 00:36:17,960 Speaker 1: with great sensitivity and fairness, so thank you, Marianne. We 591 00:36:18,000 --> 00:36:21,319 Speaker 1: appreciate the letter, and thanks to everybody who's written into us. 592 00:36:21,400 --> 00:36:23,520 Speaker 1: Mom Stuff and How Stuff Works. Dot com is our 593 00:36:23,560 --> 00:36:25,840 Speaker 1: email address and for links to all of our social 594 00:36:25,880 --> 00:36:29,520 Speaker 1: media as well as all of our blogs, videos and podcasts, 595 00:36:29,560 --> 00:36:31,880 Speaker 1: including this one. With all of our sources so you 596 00:36:31,880 --> 00:36:34,160 Speaker 1: can follow along with us, you can head on over 597 00:36:34,239 --> 00:36:40,480 Speaker 1: to stuff Mom Never told you dot com For more 598 00:36:40,560 --> 00:36:42,799 Speaker 1: on this and thousands of other topics. Is it How 599 00:36:42,880 --> 00:36:51,759 Speaker 1: stuff Works dot com