You cannot turn on the TV or check social media lately without seeing news of the latest medical crisis to hit. Ebola: Should We Be Afraid? That is the question on many minds as we navigate what we had believed was a disease that would never touch our shores. With our first death in the United States as well as others falling ill, it has become an immediate concern for many, and we want to address those fears here.
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EBOLA: SHOULD WE BE AFRAID?
The Facts: While Ebola has been diagnosed on American soil, that does not mean there is an epidemic here. We are in fact one of the safest countries to be in the midst of this crisis. We have modern medicine and cleanliness at our disposal, unlike the countries in Africa that are currently struggling with what is an epidemic.
- Only 1 death in United States. All other cases to date have been isolated and/or treated and cleared, as of the time of this writing.
- It is not airborne. While particles of saliva, bodily fluids, etc. are contagious that does not mean that it is airborne. The particles themselves will not travel endlessly through the air.
- We have standards of care in place that are much better than what is found in Liberia or Nigeria.
- CDC is working diligently to provide hospitals with a standard protocol.
How Can We Prevent It?
- Avoid contact with those effected.
- Avoid travel to the “hot zones” in Africa
- Be diligent in cleanliness in your home, office and with your own personal bodily functions. This disease is spread through bodily fluids. Sitting on the same park bench as an infected party is not going to infect you. Touching their bodily fluids and having those enter your blood stream can and will.
- Be aware of those you come in contact with and don’t hesitate to seek medical attention for any unusual symptoms.
While being safe is definitely recommended, it is not necessary to stockpile food, water or medical supplies at this point. Ebola is a safety concern, but it is far less likely to become an issue to you and your family than the influenza will be this year. By being safe, thinking things through and using basic common sense regarding health and cleanliness, you are going to protect yourself and your family from the possibility of infection not only from Ebola but many other illness floating around you. Good health, good sanitary practices and avoiding hot spots are your best bets for staying safe.
Does this help ease your fears about Ebola? Do you think it’s something we should be more afraid of?
I don’t feel scared of contracting ebola, which makes me pretty lucky I guess.
I wonder how this will evolve, so sad that there have been so many victims of Ebola but some have survived which should also be acknowledged and celebrated
My personal risk for ebola is pretty low. I am more fearful of things like the flu. Of course, the severity is no where near the same. However, it’s more likely to affect my family.
It is a serious issue, but was blown way out of proportion thanks to an otherwise slow news month. Fortunately (?) the election bumped it out of the news.
Being from Dallas and a school district where we were receiving specific news that our district was impacted, it’s been more of a concern to us than most. We traveled out of the country to the Caribbean during this mess and during customs/immigration it was clear they were concerned that we were from Dallas…..and asked questions about any contact with hospitals. I don’t think this will affect the average family, but I don’t think that we know everything there is to know about this disease yet.
From I was told, you can get ebola from a casual contact (like sitting next to or touching hands) – I think the education is very important, but it has been blown out way our of proportions for the US
We see movies like Outbreak and it increases our fears. Yes we need to diligent to keep ourselves safe but fears can make people over worry. If I traveled internationally, I would be more concerned because you come in contact with strangers more often.
I personally am not afraid of contracting ebola. While I am surprised that there has been cases in the US, I do not think it will increase my chances of contracting it. I think these cases will help to learn more about ebola and hopefully will lead to better treatment.
This doesn’t ease my fear much at all. My fear is that one of my children will get it and be isolated in a hospital room with their only physical human contact being someone in a haz-mat type suit. I prefer to comfort my sick and possibly dying child myself.