“There would be total panic if it had come back positive so draw your own conclusion.”
They may indeed think that panic is worse than if ebola actually spreads...
The spread of Ebola is highly limited by two factors : the fatality rate and the time frame over which the disease develops symptoms. Yes, panic is potentially far worse than the disease itself, where strict containment protocols be placed in infected areas. When people panic, the panic alone can potentially cause a lot of casualties from people behaving in ways that they normally wouldn’t.