Is the EBOLA scare in the USA real or is it overblown?

The governmental and individual response to EBOLA in the US is a mix of real and overblown. I look at this from a strategic composite risk management. We need to identify the hazards, assess the hazards to determine risk (probability, severity, level risk), develop controls and make risk decisions, implement controls, then supervise and evaluate. Based upon this, a few points below:
- Hazard. EBOLA is a deadly disease spread via direct contact and body fluids. It has an incubation period of 2-21 days. It has killed thousands in Africa since 1975, killed one person in the US, and infected about 4 people in the US (two in the US and two in Africa).
- Risk. Low probability of infection based upon low numbers in US right now but can rapidly be high probabilty if the numbers in the US increase. High severity (death). Level risk extremely high or high.
- Controls. US just restricted travel to US from Africa to five airports, CDC ineffective response, local first providers and hospitals reportedly ill trained and ill prepared.
- Implement controls. Need to have controls before the controls can be implemented.
- Supervise and evaluate. One person dead with two infected is not a good batting average. Something was broke locally in Texas and possibly strategically with the CDC.
Therefore, is the fear reasonable? Possibly but let's use CRM to approach this risk in a deliberate manner. In the above Stoke County, NC example, the local reaction was based upon fear and not a reasoned analysis of the problem and proper controls. There are no cases of Ebola in South Africa that I am aware of.

The government should really put on their "thinking caps" prior to getting in front of a microphone. When the first case was diagnosed in the US, the CDC should have been all over it. Patient Zero was initially allowed to go home, and elsewhere; and potentially contaminating hundreds of people. The second nurse, was allowed to travel as well as a third co-worker to take a cruise. Each potentially threatening a larger, uncontrolled breakout.

A quarantine for personnel traveling to these potentially affected countries is a necessary risk, until the pandemic in that area is somewhat controlled.

This would be more a overreaction but understandable under the circumstances. People don't know what to believe with all the conflicting information. Even the CDC contradicts itself in statements.