Emerging Viruses-Aids & Ebola - By Leanard ... - preterhuman.net

unpredictable. As a result, an exposed person cannot be surewhether he has been infected or know how ill he will be or whenthe danger has passed. A further confusing factor is that many ofthe symptoms of illness are also symptoms of emotional stress."[15]That sounded remarkably similar to the "fear of AIDS epidemic"I had frequently written and talked about. [l6-I8]In the event of an attack, the researchers added:"Panic. . . may be so great that. . . those who have not beenaffected will view those who have as potential agents of disease.The response to a chemical or biological attack may requireprecautionary or other measures on such a scale thatextraordinary means of social control will have to be introducedand these may remain in force long after the need for them haspassed. Thus, an attack may lead to social changes out of allproportion to the actual damage done."Isn't that interesting, I thought. They even predicted socialchanges like the need to legislate AIDS as a disability rather thana disease, and requiring infection control measures that have yetto prove their value in saving costs or lives.WHO consultants further predicted that the masses would try toavoid anything that would bring them in contact with deadlygerms. Much of this avoidance was expected to bedisproportionate to the actual risk.In my role as a health professional AIDS educator, I recalledseveral similar experiences. One had occurred a few weeksearlier following a television interview in Rockford, Illinois. Aviewer called me at the station to express her concern aboutleaving her house. The last time she went shopping, she said astorekeeper handed her a box of laundry detergent. She noticed afew cuts on his hands and refused to touch him or the box. Shejust panicked, left the store, and hadn't gone shopping since."Even though casual contact can't transmit HIV," I said to thestation receptionist, "people are still afraid-especially of shakinghands with AIDS patients or HIV carriers." Exactly what waspredicted, I reflected.Besides this, the consultants even envisioned extensive healthand medical emergencies as a consequence of a biological attack,"including mass illnesses, deaths, and epidemics." They expectedthat "WHO might be called upon to furnish technical assistancein dealing with allegations that chemical or biological weaponshad been used. . . and in achieving disarmament." [15]The authors concluded:"As long as research on the military use of chemical andbiological agents is continued. . . new agents of even greaterdestructive power [may be discovered]. . . . It is clear, therefore,that the best interests of all Member States, to say nothing of