INTRO MULTIMEDIA BLOG

Mers-C0V wordpress bolg final post ith captions This link is our Feature paper over the virus MERS-CoV also the pictures and captions we used are listed as well. This is our final post to wordpress from the Feature Fighters from Dr. Arif’s Feature Writing Summer 2015 semester. I loved my grouped and have enjoyed our time together during this course!!!(:

lingering sensation in the throat that spreads as a persistent tickle beneath the breastbone, forcing air from the lungs.  Muscle aches, fatigue and chills follow alluding to the dreaded flu. In addition to fever, those with healthy immune systems may only experience gastrointestinal discomforts such as diarrhea and vomiting. Those with compromised immune systems may drown in pneumonia or languish in kidney failure before eventually succumbing. Sound like a common flu infection? You are sorely mistaken. It’s one of the most deadly virus’ plaguing the world at this time. It has crossed American borders twice and many still do not know its name.

The silence from major U.S. media outlets has been almost deafening. Pushed to the edges of American consciousness by the sheer volume of more proximity based news articles, stories of the Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome Virus (MERS-CoV) reside along the fringes of newsworthy consciousness. The virus is virtually unknown to many Americans. While it is true that there have been no major outbreaks in the United States, there have been at least two cases of infected persons within America’s borders. The fiasco that gripped the country during the Ebola crisis indicates that knowledge of infectious diseases and how to combat them is essential to public health. Also crucial is the public’s understanding of how such diseases can and will eventually reach the American people. Preparation and understanding of the virus and its symptoms are vital to prevent the panic that was present with the arrival of the Ebola virus.

MERS-CoV? What’s that again?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), MERS-CoV is a viral respiratory disease caused by a coronavirus similar to the virus that causes the common cold, though MERS-CoV has the potential to be much more deadly. The coronavirus is a family of six viruses that also includes sister virus, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome or SARS.  Named for their crown-like or corona shape, both viruses are considered extremely deadly. In addition to normal flu and cold-like symptoms, some people suffering from MERS-CoV may experience organ failure which can lead to septic shock. Those with weakened immune systems such as the elderly, cancer patients and people with chronic diseases, are much more susceptible than someone with a healthy immune system.

As CNN report earlier this month, 2,800 people have been quarantined in South Korea with a death total of nine. It is the largest outbreak so far.

Where did it come from?

The first known case of MERS-CoV occurred in Saudi Arabia in June 2012. The virus has since been identified in multiple countries along the Arabian Peninsula, China and South Korea. Although not known for certain, patient zero may have been a Saudi male who became ill with pneumonia and kidney failure and died eleven days later. The WHO notes that many of the 1,000 plus cases have either been directly or indirectly linked to the Arabian Peninsula and its dromedary or one hump camels. At least 400 people have succumbed to the disease. They also show that many of the camels that roam the peninsula have shown high rates of antibodies against the MERS-CoV while the virus’ RNA has been detected in camels in different countries. Bats can also carry the virus.

Though evidence would seem to point towards the camels as likely cause of the disease, coming into contact with them isn’t a sure fire way of catching it. A January 2015 study by Kafrelsheikh Univesity in Egypt, King Faisal Unversity in Hofuf, Saudia Arabia and the University of Hong Kong, shows that the blood of people who had repeated contact with infected camels, in some cases even drinking infected camel milk, did not possess antibodies against MERS-CoV.  Although their research is promising for those who have some sort of contact with camels, it doesn’t completely rule out animal to people transmission.  “Spillover infection of humans may be more common in other settings in which humans are exposed over sustained periods to animals among which virus prevalence is higher,” their research found.

Despite an extraordinary amount of research, answers about the virus’ origin have been elusive and without that information a vaccine will be quite difficult to acquire.

“There’s a lot of unknowns in this thing, in this virus. We don’t know who is the first patient (sic). The index patient. That’s why we cannot even create a vaccine.  We know there’s bats in Egypt [that] have this, that carry it. We know that camels have it. [The virus they carry has the] same kind of genetic makeup. Is the transfer from animals to humans? We don’t know that. A lot of these things we don’t know at this time,” explains Dr. Mariejane Braza an Internist who specializes in infectious diseases at the East Texas Infectious Disease Consultants in Tyler, Texas.

Though Saudi Arabia, South Korea and China may seem worlds away, air travel makes the threat of the virus reaching American soil extremely likely. While it was not widely reported, the United States has already experienced two instances of the disease. In May 2014, the CDC confirmed the first case of MERS-CoV in Chicago, IL.  The patient, who lives and works as a healthcare provider in Saudi Arabia, traveled to the U.S. by way of London before taking a bus to Indiana. After experiencing shortness of breath and coughing the patient went to the emergency room where his travel history and symptoms were noted. Health officials tested him for MERS-CoV and confirmed his illness.  The patient later recovered. A second case in Florida also involved a patient who lives and works in Saudi Arabia.  He also recovered.

To combat a possible spread, the CDC tracked down plane and bus passengers who shared each patient’s trip. Their findings showed that there was not a high risk of transmission. All health care workers who came into contact with the patients tested negative for the disease.

Is there a cure?

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the WHO there are no specific treatment regimen for patients suffering from a MERS-CoV infection. Patients who show symptoms of the disease are given supportive care which involves specific treatments to control or relieve complications and side effects that can arise from the disease. Also, while MERS-CoV is highly contagious, it does not appear to pass easily between humans without close contact.

Unfortunately, there is no vaccine for MERS-CoV.  According to Braza, the mortality of the disease is exceptionally high at “about 30 to 40 percent.”

MERS-CoV! Here in Tyler?? What to do.

            Firstly, don’t panic. There have only been two cases within the United States. Tyler, a college town, is a hub for international travel. From students who travel abroad with the GATE program to the international students and others who call Tyler home, the potential to see a case close to home isn’t completely out of the question. Braza is quick to put fears of a widespread pandemic similar to South Korea to rest.

“There are protocols in place on how to take care of these patients to prevent the spreading of it in the community and we’ve been successful with this. It’s all about telling us the history, if they travel to the Arabian Peninsula, [if] they’ve been to Korea, China within two weeks and they have some type of respiratory symptoms. Fever, cough, flu-like illness then they should inform their primary care physician,” she said.

Photo: Christina Williams

UT Tyler’s nursing department works to instill values that ensure their student nurses are prepared for infectious diseases.

Photo: Christina Williams

Although there is no specific treatment for MERS-CoV, researchers are diligently working to thwart any future outbreaks.

Photo: Christina Williams

International travel hampers containment of infectious diseases. In a globalized world, a population knowledgeable about diseases such as MERS-CoV can help stall the virus in its tracks.

Captions(Click this link to see pictures and captions)

Feature #2Tracking the Past

On the morning of June 12th, 2015, odors of burning fuel and rusty oil fill the air as the Union Pacific train thunders down the track. The screeching of wheels on metal tracks drowns out the sounds of the city. The wind of the train blows back a small toddler, while his father next to him snaps a picture using his cell phone.

Museum director Paul Royal has felt the building that sits on these train tracks, shake for years. However, for many Tylerites the Cotton Belt Depot Museum is a rare sight worth pulling out your cell phone and taking a picture.

Every year between 5,000 to 6,000 people visit the Cotton Belt Depot Museum to learn about the historical value of the railways. Many of these visitors come from various places. The depot has received visits from all 50 states and over 65 countries including visitors from parts of Russia and South Africa.

The History of “The Cotton Belt Route”

The construction of the Cotton Belt Depot began in 1902. On June 2, 1905 it was open for passenger service and remained in service for almost 51 years. The St. Louis Southwestern Railway connected northeastern Texas to Arkansas and southeastern Missouri. This route is most known by its nickname “Cotton Belt” and was called this because the railroad passed through cotton fields.

There were two main railroads. One ran north to south from Mineola to Troup and was originally called the International Great Northern. It merged into the Missouri Pacific in 1953. The east to west double track was the Saint Louis Southwestern Railroad, or “Cotton Belt”. St. Louis-Southwestern Railroad merged to Southern Pacific Railroad in 1932. Southern Pacific Railroad deeded Cotton Belt Depot to the City of Tyler on November 6, 1988.

On the main lines in the 1930s and 1940s the Cotton Belt passenger trains traveled from St. Louis and Memphis to Dallas, Texas. The Memphis-Dallas named train was the “Lone Star”. The Lone Star passed through sections of Lewisville, Arkansas and Shreveport, Louisiana. The “Morning Star” was another train that was named. The Cotton Belt, also known as Tyler Tap, carried cotton and other produce to Big Sandy, Texas.

After the passenger trains stopped running on April 22, 1956, the depot served as offices, shops and storage until 1977. It then sat vacant for 11 years. In 1996, Union Pacific Railroad Company acquired Southern Pacific Railroad. This acquisition is the reason visitors see the trains painted in bright yellow and marked Union Pacific in red.

The Cotton Belt Depot Museum

Once Cotton Belt Depot was deeded to the City of Tyler, it was renovated to house the Tyler Transit Department and the Cotton Belt Depot Museum. The Cotton Belt Museum was originally going to be located on the Lufkin Line, a railway passing through downtown Bullard. However, a tornado destroyed the building that they intended to put the museum in. Thus, the Cotton Belt Depot Museum opened in May 2005 in Tyler, Texas. The Cotton Museum is run by volunteer members of the Cotton Belt Rail Historical Society. Members of this society pay $25 a year to continue their volunteer and membership services. There are currently 60 members of the historical society. Paul Royal is a five-year-member of the historical society and is the director of The Cotton Belt Depot Museum.

The museum is a two-story building that houses historical objects. In a display case, they have train logs from the time that the passenger trains were in operation. Coal lanterns of blue and red hang from the walls of the museum. These lanterns were used to signal trains. On one wall of the Cotton Museum there are pictures of trains that passed through the Cotton Belt Route during the early years of operation.

Royal spends his time telling visitors of the history of the railroads. On the second floor of the museum, Royal can control model train sets to entertain the children there. The model train sets show the children on a smaller scale of the movements of trains. Upon entering the museum the morning of June 12th, Royal asked his visitors to excuse him a moment because there was a “casualty”. The issue Royal was speaking of was one of the model trains quit working. Luckily, he fixed the train in time to show the kids.

The model train sets were donated by Mrs. Bragg, who had given a model train to her husband as a Christmas present every year because he never had a train during his childhood. Clyde Bragg, her husband, had accumulated nearly 200 locomotives and over 1,600 model rail cars. When Mr. Bragg passed away, Mrs. Bragg donated his entire collection to the Cotton Museum in 2005.

Today the trains continue to operate. Royal said that, “the railroads were vey labor intensive,” but they do not need an entire crew to run a train now. Only two people are needed to operate one. Trains are the best option for transportation when the distance to carry is over 400 miles, and transportation by truck is best when the distance to carry is less than 400 miles. Though this system is cheaper, Royal said that the major reason they keep the railroads in operation is to “keep chemicals such as liquid propane gas, or liquid refrigerant, used in air conditioners, off the roads and to avoid hazardous wrecks or spills.”

The museum runs completely on donations. A train show is held once a year at Harvey Convention Center. The average amount they make is $3,000, but $1,000 of that total goes to liability insurance and the rest goes to other museum expenses.

Right now Royal says that, “the museum is looking to purchase a passenger car” to offer visitors an inside experience. The issue is finding a place to put the passenger car since the line that bypasses the museum is still in operation.

The Cotton Belt Depot Museum is located at 210 East Oakwood Street, Tyler, TX right next to the Tyler Transit Department building. The museum is open to visitors Thursday, Friday and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. They offer free visits and accept any donations.

Feature #2Tracking the Past

On the morning of June 12th, 2015, odors of burning fuel and rusty oil fill the air as the Union Pacific train thunders down the track. The screeching of wheels on metal tracks drowns out the sounds of the city. The wind of the train blows back a small toddler, while his father next to him snaps a picture using his cell phone.

Museum director Paul Royal has felt the building that sits on these train tracks, shake for years. However, for many Tylerites the Cotton Belt Depot Museum is a rare sight worth pulling out your cell phone and taking a picture.

Every year between 5,000 to 6,000 people visit the Cotton Belt Depot Museum to learn about the historical value of the railways. Many of these visitors come from various places. The depot has received visits from all 50 states and over 65 countries including visitors from parts of Russia and South Africa.

The History of “The Cotton Belt Route”

The construction of the Cotton Belt Depot began in 1902. On June 2, 1905 it was open for passenger service and remained in service for almost 51 years. The St. Louis Southwestern Railway connected northeastern Texas to Arkansas and southeastern Missouri. This route is most known by its nickname “Cotton Belt” and was called this because the railroad passed through cotton fields.

There were two main railroads. One ran north to south from Mineola to Troup and was originally called the International Great Northern. It merged into the Missouri Pacific in 1953. The east to west double track was the Saint Louis Southwestern Railroad, or “Cotton Belt”. St. Louis-Southwestern Railroad merged to Southern Pacific Railroad in 1932. Southern Pacific Railroad deeded Cotton Belt Depot to the City of Tyler on November 6, 1988.

On the main lines in the 1930s and 1940s the Cotton Belt passenger trains traveled from St. Louis and Memphis to Dallas, Texas. The Memphis-Dallas named train was the “Lone Star”. The Lone Star passed through sections of Lewisville, Arkansas and Shreveport, Louisiana. The “Morning Star” was another train that was named. The Cotton Belt, also known as Tyler Tap, carried cotton and other produce to Big Sandy, Texas.

After the passenger trains stopped running on April 22, 1956, the depot served as offices, shops and storage until 1977. It then sat vacant for 11 years. In 1996, Union Pacific Railroad Company acquired Southern Pacific Railroad. This acquisition is the reason visitors see the trains painted in bright yellow and marked Union Pacific in red.

The Cotton Belt Depot Museum

Once Cotton Belt Depot was deeded to the City of Tyler, it was renovated to house the Tyler Transit Department and the Cotton Belt Depot Museum. The Cotton Belt Museum was originally going to be located on the Lufkin Line, a railway passing through downtown Bullard. However, a tornado destroyed the building that they intended to put the museum in. Thus, the Cotton Belt Depot Museum opened in May 2005 in Tyler, Texas. The Cotton Museum is run by volunteer members of the Cotton Belt Rail Historical Society. Members of this society pay $25 a year to continue their volunteer and membership services. There are currently 60 members of the historical society. Paul Royal is a five-year-member of the historical society and is the director of The Cotton Belt Depot Museum.

The museum is a two-story building that houses historical objects. In a display case, they have train logs from the time that the passenger trains were in operation. Coal lanterns of blue and red hang from the walls of the museum. These lanterns were used to signal trains. On one wall of the Cotton Museum there are pictures of trains that passed through the Cotton Belt Route during the early years of operation.

Royal spends his time telling visitors of the history of the railroads. On the second floor of the museum, Royal can control model train sets to entertain the children there. The model train sets show the children on a smaller scale of the movements of trains. Upon entering the museum the morning of June 12th, Royal asked his visitors to excuse him a moment because there was a “casualty”. The issue Royal was speaking of was one of the model trains quit working. Luckily, he fixed the train in time to show the kids.

The model train sets were donated by Mrs. Bragg, who had given a model train to her husband as a Christmas present every year because he never had a train during his childhood. Clyde Bragg, her husband, had accumulated nearly 200 locomotives and over 1,600 model rail cars. When Mr. Bragg passed away, Mrs. Bragg donated his entire collection to the Cotton Museum in 2005.

Today the trains continue to operate. Royal said that, “the railroads were vey labor intensive,” but they do not need an entire crew to run a train now. Only two people are needed to operate one. Trains are the best option for transportation when the distance to carry is over 400 miles, and transportation by truck is best when the distance to carry is less than 400 miles. Though this system is cheaper, Royal said that the major reason they keep the railroads in operation is to “keep chemicals such as liquid propane gas, or liquid refrigerant, used in air conditioners, off the roads and to avoid hazardous wrecks or spills.”

The museum runs completely on donations. A train show is held once a year at Harvey Convention Center. The average amount they make is $3,000, but $1,000 of that total goes to liability insurance and the rest goes to other museum expenses.

Right now Royal says that, “the museum is looking to purchase a passenger car” to offer visitors an inside experience. The issue is finding a place to put the passenger car since the line that bypasses the museum is still in operation.

The Cotton Belt Depot Museum is located at 210 East Oakwood Street, Tyler, TX right next to the Tyler Transit Department building. The museum is open to visitors Thursday, Friday and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. They offer free visits and accept any donations.

This past week learning the floor director cues really made me realize that the broadcasting and the filming aspects of the media world aren’t for me. I enjoy our multimedia class and getting the opportunities of getting to learn about things such as the processes involved with commercials. Getting knowledge of things that appear in our daily lives make the lessons even more interesting. Today we owe greater duties to society than we realize and jumping into things that are beyond our desire as well as expertise is a duty we also owe to ourselves. The media is a broad field and the aspects involved take certain type of individuals to fulfill the tasks to be successful.