Posted on Oct 22, 2014
Is the EBOLA scare in the USA real or is it overblown?
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Yesterday, October 21, 2014, in Stokes County, NC, an Assistant Principal who had taken a Mission Trip to South Africa was told to stay home and away from school for 21 days so that there would be no risk of exposing the staff or students at school to EBOLA from the visit to Africa. South Africa is over 5,000 miles away from where the infected areas of Africa are. According to the story that is further away than the distance from NC to Hawaii, yet people are afraid of contracting EBOLA from this person.
Is this a reasonable fear? Should anyone traveling from anywhere in Africa be quarantined for 21 days? Is this overreaction due to ignorance of geography? Or is there something else going on, what is your reaction to this story?
Is this a reasonable fear? Should anyone traveling from anywhere in Africa be quarantined for 21 days? Is this overreaction due to ignorance of geography? Or is there something else going on, what is your reaction to this story?
Geography
Homeland Security
Quarantine
Posted 10 y ago
Responses: 23
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Its a real concern, but I feel that if we watch our borders effectively and intelligently (this includes flight restrictions for the time being) we can fix a host of problems such as Ebola and even ISIS attacks on our borders.
You could also argue parts of the economy, but I don't want to get into that...
You could also argue parts of the economy, but I don't want to get into that...
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CMDCM Gene Treants
I cannot believe that we have not implemented ANY flight restrictions. Even some other African nations have closed their borders or implemented travel restrictions, yet we remain open to all travel. I just returned from Russia and traveled through Switzerland, Newark, Dulles, and Charlotte on my outgoing and return flights. There were NO restrictions of any type except the normal TSA type. Not one person, other than passport control in Russia and the USA, asked me when I had been. Customs was more concerned with my bringing in food or plants than if I had any - ANY - diseases.
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Way overblown. Fear sells and the media feeds into the irrational fear of the masses. They've been getting their ratings that's for sure.
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CMDCM Gene Treants
Yet, the Ebola scare has all but gone from current news. Scarier events have caught the media attention.
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PO1 Tony Peters
yup it was in the news because it was a club to beat the president with before the election....worked well too
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I think the fears are overblown. Granted, the effects of Ebola can be scarier or more gruesome, but the fact of the matter is it is harder to catch and kills FAR less people than the flu.
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Considering how the virus transmits and how generally we use better hygiene in this country than in Liberia and other affected countries, I am not panicking, but I am concerned. We have nurses and doctors not being quarantined and even when they are hey still leave early. While this disease is not an airborne disease by medical definition it is still very dangerous and is certainly not something to play around with. Even under the best conditions the disease kills about 50 % of the time and up to 90% in countries that do not have good access to hygiene and medical treatment. Don't panic but I think a travel ban and a quarantine of aid workers who directly are in contact with Ebola patients is a prudent measure.
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http://fox13now.com/2014/10/16/news-anchor-the-ebola-message-everyone-needs-to-hear/
I think the whole things is being overblown by the media and I think that's causing mass panic from people that don't know all of the facts. I saw this video last week and whether or not you like Fox News I think this reporter makes some very good points.
I think the whole things is being overblown by the media and I think that's causing mass panic from people that don't know all of the facts. I saw this video last week and whether or not you like Fox News I think this reporter makes some very good points.
News anchor delivers Ebola message everyone needs to hear
Fox News’ Shepard Smith took a fewminutes to give the facts on Ebola Wednesday. But he gave more than that, which you can see in his message above. MORE: Check fox13now.com for the latest local st...
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CMDCM Gene Treants
Shepard Smith makes so much sense. If only all of the other "reporters" would follow suit and preach common sense instead of sensationalism. Thanks 1LT (Join to see). This may be the best post of the thread!
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1LT (Join to see)
Thank you CMDCM Gene Treants I just thought it was nice to hear that at least ONE reporter has enough common sense to realize that a good majority of the media is doing nothing but sending people into a panic. I just get so fed up with them putting out these ridiculous headlines for the sake of getting viewers. I see it everyday at the gym, in my opinion CNN is one of the worst examples. It's incredibly irresponsible of them.
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I'm sure that it can be taken as something not serious by many, but when you look at the link I posted, I'm sure the thoughts will change.
While here in NYC there are people at a poverty level whom go through city garbage cans picking up bottle and cans to make end meet, Think of what would happen if this keeps up as is.
Not only is this a problem but those whom are infected perhaps aren't even aware they are yet, until its too late.
The doctors that did get infected had a blood transfusion as a cure.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2805930/Should-Officers-marking-Ebola-patient-s-NYC-apartment-toss-gloves-masks-caution-tape-PUBLIC-trash-city-sidewalk-leave.html
While here in NYC there are people at a poverty level whom go through city garbage cans picking up bottle and cans to make end meet, Think of what would happen if this keeps up as is.
Not only is this a problem but those whom are infected perhaps aren't even aware they are yet, until its too late.
The doctors that did get infected had a blood transfusion as a cure.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2805930/Should-Officers-marking-Ebola-patient-s-NYC-apartment-toss-gloves-masks-caution-tape-PUBLIC-trash-city-sidewalk-leave.html
NYC cops on Ebola case toss gloves and masks in PUBLIC trash can
NYC police officers who were marking of Ebola patient Craig Spencer's apartment on Thursday were seen discarding of their gloves and masks in a public trash can on the street.
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CMDCM Gene Treants
Cannot believe that the NYC PD is so ill advised that this is how they treat potentially biohazardous trash. Even if only potential, the common sense measure is to be overly cautious and dispose of it properly, not in a public container. WTF?
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I'd say its a serious issue, but not in the way the TV stations have made it. Comparing relative deaths of different diseases is tempting, and data helps keep real threats in perspective (you are at far far far higher risk of dying in a traffic collision, today, than ever getting Ebola) in the US we need to be more aware of MRSA and C-diff. However, making comparisons between diseases may not be as useful as it initially seems.
http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2014/09/11/has-ebola-death-toll-surpassed-malaria-in-west-africa/
Likely Americans will feel the economic impact more than the medical.
http://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicdetail/2014/10/ebola-graphics
http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2014/09/11/has-ebola-death-toll-surpassed-malaria-in-west-africa/
Likely Americans will feel the economic impact more than the medical.
http://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicdetail/2014/10/ebola-graphics
THE first reported case in the Ebola outbreak that has ravaged west Africa dates back to December 2013, in Guéckédou, a forested area of Guinea near the border...
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Capt Richard I P.
CMDCM Gene Treants, happy to share, there's some good scholarly work on this out there.
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CMDCM Gene Treants I don't think that it's overblown; this is a serious disease and definitely needs to be taken seriously by health and government officials. The public needs to be educated about the state of the epidemic in Africa, as well as how it's affecting health care workers who are travelling to and from the United States in order to respond to it.
With all of that said, I am not "freaking out" as some people are. The news reporting on it does seem to tend to be more sensationalist than anything else, but that stems from a desire to make good (or gripping, at least) television rather than a desire to report the news. I've said to many people on the subject that I'm not going to get worried at all about my personal safety until a patient in the US tests positive for ebola and did not just return from Africa. Until then, I'm trying to stay educated on the topic and that's about it.
With all of that said, I am not "freaking out" as some people are. The news reporting on it does seem to tend to be more sensationalist than anything else, but that stems from a desire to make good (or gripping, at least) television rather than a desire to report the news. I've said to many people on the subject that I'm not going to get worried at all about my personal safety until a patient in the US tests positive for ebola and did not just return from Africa. Until then, I'm trying to stay educated on the topic and that's about it.
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CMDCM Gene Treants
I would add, did not just return from West Africa and was not a health care worker involved in caring for someone who had EBOLA in this country.
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Overblown thanks to the media. More people have died from the flu than from Ebola.
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It's deff overblown. Every year it's something different. Ebola now, years ago bird flu, mad cow…etc It's just another thing that will pass and next year we'll be freaking out over another nothing.
Just stating that Aids been around for years and people still don't want to wear a condom yet ebola goes around and everyone freaks out….but that's none of my biss lol
Just stating that Aids been around for years and people still don't want to wear a condom yet ebola goes around and everyone freaks out….but that's none of my biss lol
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CMDCM Gene Treants
I would have agreed a few days ago, bit we are getting more reports of medical people returning infected who are traveling while symptomatic. Doctors and nurses SHOULD know better, yes seem as ignorant as oe blow off the street.
If medical personnel as this foolish, how long before someone without their supposed knowledge enters the USA and presents a real threat? Ignorance may be bliss, but not in this matter.
If medical personnel as this foolish, how long before someone without their supposed knowledge enters the USA and presents a real threat? Ignorance may be bliss, but not in this matter.
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SGT (Join to see)
Ebola just like any other illness that can be spread is never taken serious. Ebola has been around for years killing people off. Now that it's in the states and we lost a few people we are freaking out. I mean yes it should be a worried issue that people are spreading it around but those people need to be held accountable for what they are doing and spreading just as they punish someone who has aids and spreads it out.
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