Next question.

How the F do you conduct clinical trials on Ebola, and who is the poor sonofabitch who gets the Placebo.

Probably mice.

Why not just conduct the trials on the Africans already infected? I'm sure many of them would accept the risk for a $1000 payment.

Tomorrow's sensationalized headline:

The Number of Ebola Cases in US has DOUBLED in One Day

I don't know the specifics on clinical trials on Ebola, but my general understanding of this sort of things is that it is a randomization process so that there is no bias or some other factor that affects the outcome other than the drug or treatment itself. In situations where there is more control, it would even be double-blind where neither the patient nor the doctor would know until the end of the experiment (unless it is absolutely clear that the drug/treatment is either really good or really bad for the subjects).

This drug hadn't even gone to clinical trials yet. And think about the field day the press would've had if they decided this Ebola outbreak was the perfect setting to start doing clinical trials of an experimental drug.

I can see it now: "Pharma company takes advantage of sick Africans' plight to try out new experimental drug"

Then the follow up article with the major side effects and how poor Africans were suffering from them.

Side effects, such as high fever, immense bodily pain, and excessive diarrhea I'm guessing...

Whatever the reality behind this, it is going to look really bad in West Africa and will exacerbate conspiracy theories that have already been circulating about the disease being spread by white health workers.

Injustice comes back to bite you in the ass sometimes.

Do people actually believe that?

This isn't a clinical trial type of situation. This is a "Hail Mary play", trying something drastic in attempt to help these people.

"Do people actually believe that?"

It wasn't that many years since European health care workers were held and blamed for diseases. Even in the US there were rumors because of the groups that were heavily infected with HIV in the early days of the AIDS epidemic.

"It wasn't that many years since European health care workers ..."

In fact, already some organisations like MSF cannot reach certain villages since they are being threatened and are getting stones hurled at them. People have heard the stories: the white men take you away in quarantaine, and you will never return.

Like I said, injustice sown is also reaped. It sucks, but yes, it is something people actually believe.

Reminds me of the polio vaccine/CIA scandal in Pakistan

reaped by the Africans who aren't trusting health workers and killing themselves. Ditto with Polio.

Well yes, but also endangering the whole world since disease knows no boundary , and caused by centuries of trickery and exploitation by whites.

I highly doubt the people in the rural villages have had much contact with whites.