21 days quarantine period for Ebola patients is not long enough as deadly virus could still remain in the body- Scientists

The recommended 21-day quarantine period for the Ebola virus is not long enough to contain the spread of the disease, a new study has warned.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) advises the incubation period for the virus is between two and 21 days. 

It is thought that if someone who has been in contact with an Ebola victim but does not develop symptoms after that point, has not been infected.

But a study by scientists at Drexel University in Philadelphia has found there is a 12 per cent chance the deadly virus could lay dormant in a person's body for longer than the three-week period.

It means a significant proportion of the population in West Africa could be developing the disease outside of the key incubation period.

Biologist professor Charles Hass said when calculating the isolation period on the basis of past outbreaks, there is always a 'standard deviation for results' - a percentage by which they may vary - which has yet to be taken into account during this outbreak. 

Professor Hass, who has vast experience of analysing the risk of transmitting biological pathogens, said 'reconsideration is in order' as 21 days may not be sufficient to protect public health.  

He said: 'Twenty one days has been regarded as the appropriate quarantine period for holding individuals potentially exposed to Ebola Virus to reduce risk of contagion, but there does not appear to be a systemic discussion of the basis for this period.'

Data gathered by the WHO from earlier outbreaks in Zaire and Uganda reported an incubation period of between two and 21 days for the virus, meaning if the individual has not presented with symptoms after three weeks they are unlikely to be infected or contagious.

Professor Haas said he believes a broader look at risk factors should be considered as with any research of this nature there is a standard deviation in results.

In the case of Ebola's incubation period the range of results generated from Zaire and Uganda varied little, and this may have contributed to the WHO's certainty.

But looking more broadly at data from other Ebola outbreaks in Congo in 1995 and West Africa recently suggests there could be up to a 12 per cent chance that someone could be infected even after the 21-day quarantine.

Professor Haas, whose research is published in PLOS Currents, said: 'While the 21-day quarantine value, currently used, may have arisen from reasonable interpretation of early outbreak data, this work suggests reconsideration is in order and 21 days might not be sufficiently protective of public health.'

He said these quarantine periods must be determined by looking at the cost of enforcing the quarantine against the that of releasing exposed individuals.

Looking at the potential trade off between costs and benefits as the quarantine time is extended should guide public health officials in determining the appropriate action.

But, with more contagious and potentially deadly diseases the cost of making a mistake on the short side when determining a quarantine is extremely high.

Professor Haas, added: 'Clearly for pathogens that have a high degree of transmissibility and a high degree of severity, the quarantine time should be greater than for agents with lower transmissibility and severity.

'The purpose of this paper is not to estimate where the balancing point should be, but to suggest a method for determining the balancing point.'

Read More

Joan Rivers Died of Low Blood Oxygen- Medical Examiner

The New York City medical examiner says Joan Rivers died from low blood oxygen during a medical procedure.

The comedian, who was 81, died Sept. 4. She had been hospitalized since Aug. 28 when she went into cardiac arrest during a routine medical procedure at a doctor's office to check out voice changes and reflux.

Medical examiner spokeswoman Julie Bolcer said Thursday that the cause was brain damage due to lack of oxygen. It is classified as a therapeutic complication, meaning that the death resulted from a predictable complication of surgery.

The New York state health department is investigating the circumstances.

Her daughter Melissa Rivers said in a statement that the family continues to be saddened by the tragic loss.

Read More

Arsenal star 'Mesut Ozil' accused of cheating on girlfriend Mandy Capristo with Melanie Rickinger

 Arsenal star Mesut Ozil has been dragged into a public row with a fellow German footballer and accused of cheating on his pop star girlfriend Mandy Capristo.

Former Bayern Munich and Hertha Berlin player Christian Lell accused Ozil of 'muscling in' on his relationship with former girlfriend Melanie Rickinger.

In an interview with Bild, Lell somewhat ungraciously described his ex as a 'snake' and explained that she had exchanged intimate messages with Ozil on the messaging service WhatsApp.

'Mesut exploited his fame, and muscled in on our relationship,' said Lell. 'That isn't OK'.

Ozil himself has refused to comment on the situation. 

'We are not commenting on this. We will keep an eye on the situation, and take legal action if necessary,' said his agent Roland Eitel. 

Lell's ex-girlfriend Rickinger has said her former boyfriend is 'crazy'. She has not denied the accusations of an affair with Ozil, but did insist that Lell had accessed her messages without her permission.

'I deleted everything on my phone. He must have gone on himself and backed everything up,' she said. 'He's completely crazy.'

Capristo has also refused to comment. The singer lives with the Germany international in London, and is a judge on the X Factor-style reality show 'Germany's Search for a Superstar'.

Read More

Michael Jackson top Forbes list of 'highest-earning dead celebrities'

Michael Jackson once again raked in more than Elvis Presley to become the world's top earning dead celebrity of 2014.

The music legend's estate continued to earn more than most celebrities in the land of the living with an altogether not Bad at all haul of $140m.

According to Forbes, he made almost three times as much as perennial list topper Elvis Presley, who made a relatively paltry $55 million in earnings over the same 12-month period.

Jackson's estate made a fortune on the back of his second posthumous album release Xscape, which went straight in at number two in the charts.

His profile was further bolstered by an holographic performance on stage at the Billboard Music Awards. 

His controversial appearance will no doubt pave the way for other dead celebrities as the technology advances to the point where we won’t be able to tell the difference.

Read More

World's top five players: "I'm not a top-five player yet" -Eden Hazard

Chelsea midfielder Eden Hazard has said in the Telegraph that he is not yet good enough to be considered one of the best five players in the world, despite his impressive start to the season.

Hazard and Chelsea have enjoyed an unbeaten start to the new Premier League campaign but the 23-year-old still doesn't see himself in same class as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

"I'm not a top-five player yet," Hazard said. "Maybe I'm close to it, but I still have to work on some aspects. You can only be part of that group if you are decisive in the top games. I start doing that, like I did against Manchester City and Arsenal.

"Who are better than me? The two extra-terrestrials, Ronaldo and Messi, [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic, [Franck] Ribery and [Arjen] Robben. They make the difference almost every game."

Despite being an influential figure in the club's title push last season, Hazard attracted criticism from manager Jose Mourinho following Chelsea's Champions League semifinal defeat to Atletico Madrid last May.

Hazard criticised Mourinho's tactics, to which his manager responded by questioning the player's commitment to the team. However, Hazard says that is in the past and the pair enjoy a good relationship.

"Jose Mourinho and I get along well. I've lots of respect for him," Hazard said. "He gives me a lot of confidence. After a bad game he dares to say 'we have played with 10 today', but that's it. At moments like that he leaves me alone."

As a result of his brief squabble with Mourinho, Hazard's Chelsea future came into question last summer when he was constantly linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain.

Hazard, though, says he has no intention of returning to the French league and, while reports indicate he is on the verge of signing a new deal at Stamford Bridge, he admits he would be tempted to leave one day for a "new challenge."

He added: "I've always been clear -- I feel good at Chelsea. Every week I repeat the same on PSG. It's a big team, but an inferior league. I don't want to return to France, because I've won everything over there -- the league title, cup, best player, best young player.

"I don't want to say PSG is a step backwards, but it would be returning to something I already know. I'm always in for new challenges. When I will leave Chelsea one day, it would be to discover something new."

Read More

US President Barack Obama played down chance of ebola outbreak risk in the US

US President Barack Obama has played down the chance of an Ebola outbreak in the US, saying the risk of Americans getting the virus was "extremely low".

He was speaking after a second US nurse became infected after treating a Liberian who died a week ago in Dallas.

Meanwhile, a UN chief has warned that West Africa faces a potential food crisis because of the Ebola crisis.

The disease has killed about 4,500 people so far, mostly in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone.

In the US, health officials are seeking to trace 132 people who flew on a plane with Amber Vinson the day before she fell ill.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said it wanted to interview the passengers on Frontier Airlines flight 1143 from Cleveland, Ohio, to Dallas, Texas on Monday.

An unnamed federal official has told US media that Ms Vinson, 29, called the CDC before boarding to report a temperature of 99.5F (37.5C) and to say she was getting on a plane.

She is the second nurse to become infected after treating Thomas Eric Duncan at the Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital.

More than 70 medics who may have come in contact with Mr Duncan at the hospital are being monitored for symptoms.

Mr Obama cancelled a political campaign trip to meet Cabinet officials involved in the Ebola response both in the US and in West Africa. He has also cleared his diary for Thursday, postponing other engagements so that he can remain in Washington and monitor the situation.

Speaking after chairing a crisis meeting on Ebola, President Obama said it would be more difficult to prevent an outbreak in the US if the epidemic "rages out of control in West Africa".

He promised a "much more aggressive" monitoring of Ebola cases in the US and reaffirmed plans to send a "Swat team" of experts to any hospital that reported an infection.

It is still unclear how Ms Vinson and the other infected nurse, Nina Pham, contracted the virus.

Both wore face shields, hazardous materials suits and protective footwear as they drew blood and dealt with Mr Duncan's body fluids.

However, a national nurse union said health workers had not been properly equipped while treating Mr Duncan.

Read More

Pep Guardiola eye Manchester United Managerial role- according to the new book "Pep Confidential"

Pep Guardiola would like to one day follow in Sir Alex Ferguson's footsteps and manage Manchester United, according to the new book "Pep Confidential: The Inside Story of Pep Guardiola's First Season at Bayern Munich."

Marti Perarnau, the book's author, writes that Guardiola told his personal assistant Manel Estiarte of his interest in United in 2011, as revealed in excerpts published by the Telegraph.

"It was May 4, and the pair sat together in the stands of Old Trafford watching Sir Alex Ferguson's team beat Schalke 4-1. Pep turned to his friend and said: 'I like this atmosphere. I could see myself coaching here one day.'

"Guardiola has always felt a deep admiration, almost veneration, for the legendary teams and players of Europe." 

Current United boss Louis van Gaal was Guardiola's manager when the two were at Barcelona as player and coach. Guardiola went on to manage Barca five years after the Dutchman had left the Nou Camp.

The former Spanish midfielder then met with Ferguson in New York City at the halfway point of the 2013-14 campaign, after Guardiola had moved on from Barcelona.

At the time, there was speculation that Ferguson told Guardiola of his plans to leave Manchester United at the end of the season, but that was never confirmed.

"During his sabbatical year in New York, the job offers poured in," Perarnau wrote. "His ex-colleague, Txiki Begiristain, the director of football at Manchester City, was very insistent.

"He also met up in Paris with Roman Abramovich, who was prepared to do anything to lure Pep to Chelsea.

"Bayern, too, were anxious to register an early interest and a delegation from Munich attended Pep's last game with Barca, the final of the Copa del Rey against Athletic Bilbao in Madrid on May 25, 2012. In the event, the Bayern delegation did not get a chance speak to Guardiola, but they made their interest clear during a meeting with his agent. Within a few months, Pep had chosen Bayern.

This news comes a little late for the brass at Old Trafford, who made efforts to bring Guardiola over from Bayern Munich after they sacked David Moyes towards the end of the 2013-14 Premier League campaign, according to The Telegraph report.

When asked in April about an Old Trafford move, Guardiola said, "I am here. I am at Bayern and I want to stay two more years here."

That timing would take Guardiola to the end of his current contract with Bayern in 2016. Van Gaal's contract with Manchester United goes until the end of 2017, so even if there was interest, the move couldn't happen unless the Dutchman was let go or resigned.

Read More