The Strange Logic of Dr. Thomas Frieden: You Can Give Ebola on a Bus, But You Can't Get It on a Bus

RUSH: Do you know, folks, that you can transmit Ebola on a bus but you can't get it on a bus? Have you heard that? Well, okay, try this now. And I assure you here, we're not laughing. We're not doing satire or parody here. We're not taking advantage of the situation for that. I mean, I'm shooting you straight here.

"Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said during a telephone press briefing Wednesday that you cannot get Ebola by sitting next to someone on a bus, but that infected or exposed persons should not ride public transportation because they could transmit the disease to someone else," like someone sitting next to you on the bus.

No, no, you heard right. You're out there saying, "Well, no, Rush, you had to make a mistake there. That's a contradiction." No, no, you heard exactly right. You can give Ebola, you can transmit it on a bus, but you can't get it on a bus. Well, okay, if you can transmit it on a bus, but nobody on the bus can get it, then what's the big deal? (interruption) And if you can transmit it on the bus but you can't get it on a bus, why do they expect infected or exposed persons not ride the bus? (interruption) Yeah, that's exactly right.

I've got everybody shouting at me. "You mean to tell me that if I ride on the bus, I could give it to you, but you couldn't get it?" Yeah, that's what they're saying. But then they're asking you not to get on the bus because somebody on the bus could get it. (interruption) Well, no. Let's not make this any more complicated than it is. In fact, let's take a pause. Let's take a pause because this is challenging all of our brain cells, folks, just trying to stay even with this. And one thing that might help in keeping track of all this is remember the objective, the November elections.

RUSH: Here is, by the way, Thomas Frieden. This is yesterday afternoon. This is the how-you-can-give-it-on-a-bus-but-you-can't-get-it-on-a-bus sound bite, and I realized some of you might have thought I was making this up. I mean, that's how ridiculous this is, and I just want to play the sound bite. I assure you I'm not. It was during the Q&A after they had their teleconference with reporters yesterday on the latest to do with Ebola.

A reporter said, "In a video message to countries in West Africa that are experiencing Ebola outbreaks, President Obama told residents in these countries in West Africa that they can't get the disease by sitting next to somebody on a bus. Did the CDC vet that message before it was released and posted on US embassy websites, and is it true that a person runs absolutely no risk of contracting Ebola on public transportation such as a bus?"

FRIEDEN: Yes, CDC vetted the message -- and, yes, we believe it's accurate. I think there are two different parts of that equation. The first is, uh, "If you're a member of the traveling public and are healthy, should you be worried that you might have gotten it by sitting next to someone?" and the answer is, no. Second, uh, "If you are sick and you may have Ebola, should you get on a bus?" and the answer to that is also, no. You might become ill! You might have a problem that exposes someone around you.

RUSH: Wait, pal, you just said... It's only a 30-second sound bite! You just said 25 seconds ago that can't happen! He's doing this every time he opens his mouth. He is contradicting himself. I think this may be a record. This time it was in 30 seconds. You want to listen to this again? I mean, I could read it to you, but I... No, let me parse it and then play it for you again. "Yes, we vetted the message.

"We made sure that it was the right message for the West Africans -- and, yes, we believe it's accurate. There are two different parts of the equation here. See, the first is if you're a member of the traveling public..." What kind of talk is that? "[I]f you are a member of the traveling public"? Where do you join the club? What's the membership form? Are your dues current? What do you mean, membership? If you're a member of the traveling public?

Anyway, "If you're a member of the traveling public and are healthy, should you be worried that you might have gotten it by sitting next to somebody? Answer is no. Second, if you're sick and you may have Ebola, should you get on a bus? The answer to that is also no. You might become ill." No, no. If you have Ebola, you are ill. What is this "you might become ill"? 'Cause he just said... (interruption)

Oh, is that what he means? (interruption) Oh. Okay. Somebody just gave me a heads-up here as to what he might really mean. So let me read it again and say it as he intended it. "Second, if you are sick, and you may have Ebola, should you get on a bus? The answer to that is also, no. You might vomit! You might have a problem that exposes someone around you."

But you can't get it sitting next to somebody on a bus.So if you get on a bus, and somebody on the bus has Ebola, it's not a problem. But the person with Ebola shouldn't get on the bus because he might expose somebody around him. Here it is again in Dr. Frieden's own lingo.

Didn't get these ideas sorted and written up until late earlier this morning. BTTT.

“I think there are two different parts of that equation,” he continued. “The first is, if you’re a member of the traveling public and are healthy, should you be worried that you might have gotten it by sitting next to someone? And the answer is no.”

“Second, if you are sick and you may have Ebola, should you get on a bus? And the answer to that is also no. You might become ill, you might have a problem that exposes someone around you,” he said.

These two parts are being presented as being contradictory, but they aren't. Look at it from the point of view of whether there is an Ebola victim already on the bus you are about to get on. He's talking about random buses in the US in Oct. 2014; the situation is different in, say, Liberia, and perhaps in the US at a later date.

In case 1, a healthy person just got on the bus. You have no information about the other passengers. Since there are very few Ebola victims in the US, The likelihood of there being one on a random bus is very small, so your chances of getting Ebola are also small.

In case 2, an Ebola victim just got on the bus. You have no information about the other passengers, but the chances of at least one Ebola victim on the bus are extremely high - 100%. Because of uncertainties about where you will sit on the bus and details about transmission, your chances of getting Ebola aren't 100%, but higher than in case 1.

So you'd be justified in worrying about getting on the bus in case 2, not so much in case 1 (Unless you live in one of America's top 100 most dangerous cities).

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.