I would replace “panic” with “realize that we are on our own.”
I think you’re correct, and I believe that people need to be prepared for at least some disruption that may occur to everyday life. It may be more important to people who live in very populous metro areas, than to others; but my husband and I have had experience with simple power outages that alone have caused us to become “preppers” in a small way. We’re thinking of escalating that effort somewhat.
I’ve found the “airborne/not airborne” argument to effectively be a ‘difference without a distinction’. Ebola may not be airborne in the sense that a pinworm infection can become; but if someone at the crucial point of shedding virus sneezes or coughs in your face, that’s “airborne” to the common sense of most people. Thus, the statement that you “can’t get it sitting next to someone on a bus” is confusing, and probably untrue. It depends on the stage of the infection, and the nature of contact.
I don’t believe in letting myself panic - it steals too much energy and discipline from straight thinking; and I’m generally optimistic, given the way this has panned out so far in the U.S. But I do believe that a little bit of prep is a smart idea, especially if you are in a highly populated area, use public transportation, etc.
(By the way: I’m new here, but I believe I’ve seen threads on prepping on FR in the past. Is there a ping-list for that?)
Thanks,
JT