Chapter Seventeen
Relating the horror of Tenerife and how the infection had spread to several countries made for a very troubled breakfast. James made Carolyn and John aware of what had happened in the other dimension and what was to follow here if not stopped. "They are desperate for a vaccine, any progress?"
"No, I've been working on it constantly. I analysed the constituent parts of the vaccine and separated the main ingredients but one ingredient I can't seem to get a handle on; also, there are a few more constituents I'm not sure of that need further analysis but with time I'm sure it can be resolved. I've spoken to a few of my colleagues in the infectious disease department and asked them to undertake further research, but they said it'll take a few days. Since you've been gone that's all I've been working on; I've had to put my other work on hold and told my department to only contact me in an emergency. One thing you need to keep in mind, love, before a new drug or vaccine comes onto the market, it's rigorously tested over months, sometimes years before release for widespread use. If we get it wrong the repercussions could be disastrous. Just think of the side effects of Thalidomide developed as a remedy for morning sickness in pregnant women and we all know how that turned out."
"From what I've seen of the damage Ebola does, it's worth taking a chance. We risk nothing, most of the infected will die in any event."
"James, a vaccine is to prevent, not to cure those who already have the virus and are suffering. Say something John."
He shrugged his shoulders. "I think I'll sit this one out."
In truth, he hadn't connected the dots between a vaccine and a cure. A vaccine is a preventative to fight the virus before it gets a foothold into the body, a cure was something altogether different and he was angry with himself for not realising sooner. "Is there anything in the vaccine that could act as a cure?"
She shook her head. "You are asking for miracles and I haven't got any. We haven't even got a vaccine yet; we've just got something we think will work and don't even know what it contains. We're on dangerous ground to say nothing of what the law says using untested drugs and vaccines."
"When you see bodies dying on the streets, terror in people eyes, law and order breaking down, chaos, distrust, anger and pain, you'll try anything and sod the rest." His voice was intractable.
"Ease up, James, she's hardly slept since you've been gone. We're all aware of what is happening and know, without a cure or preventative vaccine, the world is balanced on a knife edge that is slowing cutting it apart. There is an answer out there and we've just got to find it. Hundreds of scientists, biologists, medical teams are working to find a solution."
James felt a little belligerent. "If a few terrorists can achieve a vaccine, with all our resources we should be streets ahead of them, instead, we are like vagrants grovelling in waste bins."
"Come on James, give her a little slack. A lot of vaccines and cures are often discovered by accident. Something strange is noticed in an experiment and an unrelated discovery is made by an individual or a small team working in another field. These Islamic terrorists have substantial resources with billionaire backers. You've seen how quickly they set up in Tenerife, the money they spent and the trained staff that worked there. Sis, let's have a recap of where we are and what we have learned to date, often ideas come just by talking together and exchanging viewpoints."
"What we know and understand is the virus is systemic in the way it attacks the body. Every tissue comes under attack, except our bones and skeletal muscles, manifesting in blood clotting and haemorrhaging. We don't know how the virus particles themselves attack cells. Taking a stab at it, I'd say Ebola haemorrhagic fever releases proteins that dampen down our body's natural immune system responses which allows the virus to run wild and attack our connective tissues and to multiply rapidly in collagen, the glue which keep our organs in place. The virus basically digests the tissues, causing blood to thicken and clots to form. It slows down blood flow around the body causing red spots to form on the skin which grow larger as the virus multiplies, affecting liver, brain, lungs, kidneys, intestines, breast tissue and testicles, in fact, no part of the body escapes its pernicious grasp which results in a traumatic and painful death.
"Within the next two months, thousands, if not millions, will be affected. Sorry to sound bellicose. Tenerife and the surrounding islands will be a disaster zone and other countries will follow them within weeks and I feel," he stopped speaking for a few moments and rubbed his eyes, "defenceless, helpless and afraid. One way to stop the virus from attacking the body would be to stop the virus particles from releasing proteins into the body, which dampen down the body's immune system. isn't it?"
"Partly, they attack body tissue and multiply in collagen."
"If my biology is correct, collagen is the main component which connects our tissues and makes up around thirty percent of our body's protein content in our tendons, ligaments and skin. Also, in corneas, cartilage, bone and blood vessels plus a few other areas. That is why the virus is so deadly. Am I making sense so far?"
She needed to collect her thoughts before speaking and took a few moments to reflect. "You are on the right track, but depending upon the degree of mineralisation, collagen tissues can be rigid, compliant or have a gradient from rigid to compliant. The Ebola virus doesn't differentiate, it attacks the lot."
James looked at her as if she turned into an encyclopaedia. "I don't understand what you mean by mineralisation.
"I'll take that," said John, "The process through which an organic substance becomes oxidised by inorganic substances."
"Sorry I asked," he grinned.
Carolyn gave him a loving smile. "A substance that changes its composition over time or by exposing, adding or subtracting something from it such as oxygen. In geology, it means clay turning over time into rock."
He nodded his understanding. He didn't really but felt it better to let them get on with it. "Following what you said earlier, why does the virus not attack our bones and skeletal muscles, logic would dictate that it should?"
She sat up. "Not sure."
"Don't you think you should research it?"
"Don't forget, the Ebola virus has been about for over five decades; the search for a solution has been exhaustive but it keeps on mutating into different strains."
"I have investigated how we are to survive in space and undertaken a few research papers with an astrobiologist colleague of mine. He lives locally, I'll give him a ring and ask him to come over. An idea has just struck me and I want to test it out."
"What has that got to do with anything," James asked Carolyn as John phoned.
"John has something on his mind but I can't see what outer space has to do with Ebola, but take nothing off the table; a slim hope is better than no hope."
"He'll be over within the hour. Have the analyses and the experiments you have done over the last few days handy for when he arrives."
