The Ebola Effect Arrives: Half Of Americans Will Avoid International Air Travel Out Of Ebola Fears

Zero Hedge ^ | 10/16/2014 | Tyler Durden

[SeekAndFind]

Remember when Obama said "Putin was isolated", despite the Russian having the explicit support of the BRIC nations, and thus at least half of the world's population? Well, as irony would always have it with this particular US president, the tables have promptly turned, and paradoxically where ISIS failed to "terrorize" Americans into a state of paralyzed daze, the West African virus has succeeded in isolating none other than America, and as a brand new Reuters poll reveals, nearly half of Americans are so concerned about the Ebola outbreak that they are avoiding international air travel!

In other words, global trade, commerce and simply transit, already declining thanks to the global depression rematerializing now that the Fed's latest placebo round has worn off, are about to slam into a brick wall.

The poll results come as health officials said the second nurse infected at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas had flown from Ohio to Texas with a slight fever the day before she was diagnosed.

 

The Reuters/Ipsos poll, which surveyed 1,577 Americans 18 or older online, found nearly 80 percent were concerned about the Ebola outbreak, with 41 percent saying they were "very concerned" and 36 percent "somewhat concerned."

And while the one thing that is certain to provoke an even greater popular panic at the invisible terror, is at least one more Ebola case developing on US soil, the whistleblowing admission by another nurse at Texas Health Presbyterian will hardly boost America's confidence in the way the Ebola crisis is being handled.

NBC Chicago reports that a Dallas nurse who cared for a co-worker who contracted the Ebola virus at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital said the facility was unprepared

[BunnySlippers]

That’s why airline stocks have hit the skids. We should see this reverberate around the economy.

[goodnesswins]

I’m still waiting...haven’t cancelled a Nov 12th flight...yet...altho the hub says I am not flying

[MeganC]

A very close friend of mine recently cancelled a trip to Dallas because of the Ebola outbreak and she’s saying she’ll skip travel until this thing is done.

[cicero2k]

Exactly.

This is called hunkering down behavior.

It’s what we did starting 9/12/2001.

It will cause a recession, and a stock market crash.

We need some assurances, now!

[RIghtwardHo]

Idiots.

[353FMG]

I stopped air travel long before the breakout of ebola fear.

My annoyance is with the TSA.

[RoseofTexas]

That is so true! my husband and I were going to fly to San Antonio at the end of the month but we decided to drive instead! I wish the airline association would force Obama’s hand to put a stop on flights coming in from west Africa that is the only way that bastard is going to get the message!

[alloysteel]

Considering the circumstances, I would avoid a DOMESTIC airline flight. Getting to be more and more a game of Roulette, with the Russian variation becoming most prominent.

But then, I was not happy with domestic airlines before. This pretty much puts a nail in it.

[Berlin_Freeper]

Obolaphobics

[Zuben Elgenubi]

On the upside, we’ll need fewer groping TSA agents.

[I want the USA back]

Obola is happy at the havoc he has created.

[Inyo-Mono]

Bookmarking.

[steerpike100]

I think it’s going to prove irresistable for splodey-dopey ISIS and Al Queda types to ignore the made-to-order bio-terrorism possibilities of Ebola. What will it take to bring this country to a standstill? 10 cases? 100? Look what’s happening with just a couple.

So get the virus running rampant inside the country, with multiple states. Hell, just introducing the virus into Mexico City would probably be sufficient.

[discostu]

Last I saw only 10% of Americans had passports, so I’m not entirely convinced this “half” is really going to be impacting the travel market. It’s probably mostly folks who weren’t going anywhere anyway.

[Vince Ferrer]

The people will force the government’s hand.

[Grams A]

We should see this reverberate around the economy.”

With Thanksgiving right around the corner and Christmas not far behind, both being heavily traveled times, I fear you might be right, particularly if there are more confirmed cases in the U.S. We quit flying three years ago because of TSA and drive everywhere we go. Have already begun receiving lots and lots of offers of reduced hotel rates in other cities so apparently people have already begun cancelling their holiday plans.

Of course, if air travel decreases you just know that TSA is going to start laying off. /s/

[vette6387]

“I wish the airline association would force Obama’s hand to put a stop on flights coming in from west Africa that is the only way that bastard is going to get the message!”

I thought that the US airlines were private businesses. What’s wrong with them unilaterally starting to cancel flights to countries in Africa as well as to those European countries who are still allowing Africans to travel to ( through ) their international airports? The only real reason I can come up with is revenue! I mean
if this is how much they value our business, they can all go under.

[ErnBatavia]

were going to fly to San Antonio at the end of the month but we decided to drive instead!

Ditto us, from Kalifornia to Houston...instead we're taking a road trip beginning Monday, and the following Sunday we'll overnight in San Antonio to play Alamo/Riverwalk turistas.

[wrench]

You won’t see anything from the US airlines until several of their employees contract ebola. Then they will move very fast to institute restrictions.