We do know that it is not contagious unless a fever is present. There are many claims that the “bug is evolving”, but no evidence that this is any different than other strains of ebola that have broken out. We can not let irrational hysteria govern us.
Case in point: the nurses in Texas Presbyterian Hospital were probably contaminated when removing their personal protective equipment (PPE). It appears that, in an over abundance of caution, they wrapped the exposed skin of their neck with medical tape. They contaminated themselves attempting to unwrap this tape. If they had been wearing only the recommended PPE, they had a better chance of not being contaminated, as it is configured for easy, safe removal.
This is a dangerous, lethal disease, but there is still no evidence it can spread by anything other than contact with an infected patient’s bodily fluids. The problem is, patients who are seriously ill with ebola present with a greatdeal of bodily fluids being expelled, primarily feces (diarrhea) and emesis (vomit). The amounts were such that the PPE of those nurses was heavily contaminated and required careful, sequenced removal. With all that extra tape applied, they couldn’t remove the PPE as it was designed.
Perhaps you are not aware that some people (who have died from Ebola) never, ever, had a fever.
I can’t remember the exact percentage, but think it was over 10%. Maybe 13 %?
Also, of the list of symptoms usually associated in the media with Ebole, not every patient has all of these. Some never get the explosive diarrhea, for example. Some do not bleed out.
There is just too much we do not yet understand about this virus, how it spreads, and how long it can last on surfaces. There are lab studies that show it can live on glass, doorknobs, railings, etc. for a very long time if the ambient temperature is low (40 degrees), and we do know it lives in semen for a couple of months.
We do not know what we do not know.
Irrational hysteria is not warranted, obviously. The primary concern that we must address is that our medical system is already stretched to the max, and we do not have the facilities to treat Ebola, the personnel, the equipment and supplies.
With more than a few hundred cases here is the US, we could see our medical care quickly devolve into third world conditions.