America, Ebola, and Fear: Overblown Panic in America

National Review ^ | 08/02/2014 | Dr. MARC SIEGEL

[SeekAndFind]

America, the land of the free, the home of the brave, is in a social-media panic because Dr. Kent Brantly, the 33-year-old Indiana physician who contracted Ebola while battling it in Liberia, is coming home as he struggles to hang onto life. This fear-laden response to a true American hero is out of touch with the fundamental principles of this country.

The Internet is afire with protest, and the misleading headlines stating that Ebola is being brought to the U.S. spread more fear but no understanding or empathy.

Brantly himself makes me proud to be both an American and a physician, and reminds me of the fearless battle against HIV/AIDS in the 1980s, when we took personal risks to care for the sick and the dying. A family friend describes him as caring more for others than for himself. This kind of altruism and courage is becoming rare these days, among physicians and society in general, but it is just as important now as it was in the 1980s, if not more so.

[IMR 4350]

Translation

You should be happy Ebola is being brought to the US so people like me can feel good about themselves.

Sorry doc but I feel a whole lot better about myself for wanting to keep it over there.

[MeshugeMikey]

I trust that America’s soul has not been gutted...during the last five years...

[jjsheridan5]

From the article:

Ritual burial practices that involve touching and washing the sick are part of what is spreading Ebola in West Africa.

That, and getting into taxis with infected, relatively asymptomatic people.

Newspaper headlines report that Americans fear a pandemic even though Ebola doesn’t spread through the air and all previous outbreaks have been stamped out.

And this one hasn't been stamped out. Maybe viruses are not as easy to predict as the doctor makes out. Maybe viruses change over time.

In the U.S., careful isolation of sick patients should prevent its spread if any cases do appear.

And that works for the first .001% of the population. Our medical system, while the best in the world, would crumble quickly in the face of any kind of pandemic requiring "careful isolation".

America, the land of the free, the home of the brave, is in a social-media panic because Dr. Kent Brantly, the 33-year-old Indiana physician who contracted Ebola while battling it in Liberia, is coming home as he struggles to hang onto life.

While his use of emotional catch-phrases is impressive, it doesn't address the underlying question: why is he being brought home? If the virus is going to kill him, it will do so relatively quickly, and by the time he gets home, he will either be dead or beyond care. It is much simpler to move the equipment and personnel to him, as opposed to moving him to them.

Personally, I am not concerned about him coming home. If the virus is so contagious that he poses a real risk (especially given the spotlight that they are under now), then there is no chance whatsoever that this will be contained to Africa, so it really won't make a difference. But that doesn't answer the question: why take the risk? Any kind of accident will immediately put American citizens in mortal danger, and it doesn't do any good to anyone, including Brantly.

Brantly himself makes me proud to be both an American and a physician, and reminds me of the fearless battle against HIV/AIDS in the 1980s, when we took personal risks to care for the sick and the dying.

Comparison between HIV/AIDS and Ebola is simply silly. HIV/AIDS is very difficult to get, especially for attending physicians. By contrast, treating Ebola patients involves very real risks, and deaths are not at all uncommon. This writer is simply feeding his own ego if he thinks the two are comparable.

In summary: the writer destroys his own credibility, puffs up his own ego, and does so to dismiss legitimate concerns.

[k4gypsyrose]

True. But, Nobama just invited 10 heads of state from Africa into the US for a conference. Any one of those diplomats could be a walking petri dish.

[Resettozero]

I’m curious to learn in coming months whether support for Samaritan’s Purse increases or decreases.

[Resettozero]

True. But, Nobama just invited 10 heads of state from Africa into the US for a conference. Any one of those diplomats could be a walking petri dish.

Whether normal protocol or not, this is another unwise decision.

[The Great RJ]

While Ebola is supposedly spread only by contact with bodily fluids, these organisms do evolve new strains and could become airborne. Imagine trying to contain an outbreak of Ebola in the hoards illegally crossing our border. Despite the wish to evacuate these brave doctors and nurses to the US, I do not think it is worth the risk.

[Black Agnes]

Given their irresponsible handling of repatriation of their people, definitely decreased from my household.

It’s a looooong flight home from Africa. You may feel perfectly well at the beginning. And be symptomatic at the end. Do you tell your fellow 3-400 passengers that you’re sick with a tummy bug or do you cop to having treated ebola patients last week?

[CorporateStepsister]

No it hasn’t. Americans are no longer rolling over and surely you’ve noticed the insane backlash against Obama? Americans protesting, pushing back, even our judges are pushing against Obama’s dictates and the Congress actually did something useful just now for once instead of just rolling over passive.

[DManA]

As I understand it these doctors were following all the safety protocols and STILL caught it.

[Caipirabob]

NOTHING TO SEE HERE...MOVE ALONG...

[MeshugeMikey]

I hate to say it but I think that we may need to do an INTERVENTION....at the Whitehouse.

Barrys insane pride in being pseudo compassionate could well backfire in ways no one could imagine.

[MeshugeMikey]

we do appear to have survived fairly well...all things considered.

with the general election just weeks away.....the ship of state could be turned around

[Raebie]

The sheer numbers of medical professionals who have been infected have those on the front line questioning the communicability of this strain.

There are only 4 facilities in the US that have these kinds of isolation units, yet we’re told that an outbreak in the US isn’t possible because we have such great medical facilities.

These two are being flown over in an essential bubble and will be kept in a virtual vaccume.

How does that compare to someone walking into the ER not knowing what they even have? How many people has he already infected and will further infect in that hospital before they even realize what they’re dealing with?

There is a huge disconnect going on here.

[austinaero]

“if there were an ebola OUTBREAK in the US....the panic alone would do untold damage to scoiety”

Obama Inc will manipulate the panic in order to gain more control. Even if there is no leak of infection, or outbreak, all one of Obama’s lackeys has to do is ‘imply’ that the Ebola virus is spreading in the US,,,and the propaganda media will eat it up, even if NOT true and we will never know the truth.

If Obama can use Ebola (in any way, real or by threat) to try to affect the mid-terms, he’ll do it.

[MeshugeMikey]

NOTHING is beneath Obama!

[austinaero]

“The Internet is afire with protest, and the misleading headlines stating that Ebola is being brought to the U.S. spread more fear but no understanding or empathy.”

I’m sure Dr Brantley at one point thought he could safely care for those with Ebola,,then he contracted it.

Dr Seigel needs to be pinned down with the question “How did an expert on Ebola who surely practiced every precaution possible, actually end up with Ebola?”

Would love to hear the answer to that

[Raebie]

Ebola: 5 Questions for a Frontline Healthcare Worker in Sierra Leone

“The repeated infection of expert healthcare workers in Sierra Leone and Liberia (who were presumably very careful about PPE), however, has raised some questions about whether this is a uniquely/especially contagious strain of the virus. We’re going to be communicating with Doctors Without Borders (MSF) to find out if they think this is an issue of systems (ie how people are geared-up or decontaminated) or something else (ie the type of PPE).”

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andrew-maccalla/ebola-5-questions-for-a-f_1_b_5642610.html?utm_hp_ref=impact&ir=Impact

[Axeslinger]

Canadian researchers showed in 2012 that it could transmit from pigs to monkeys thru NO direct contact, ie. Airborne. The only debate was over the size of the droplets (smaller = greater distances travelled) and therefore whether it could truly be classified as airborne. Point being they've already shown it CAN travel without direct contact.

and they're bringing it here why?!?

[Axeslinger]

Canadian researchers showed in 2012 that it could transmit from pigs to monkeys thru NO direct contact, ie. Airborne. The only debate was over the size of the droplets (smaller = greater distances travelled) and therefore whether it could truly be classified as airborne. Point being they've already shown it CAN travel without direct contact.

and they're bringing it here why?!?