Panic needn't go viral
FEDERAL
officials announced Sept. 30 that a passenger who flew from Liberia to
Dallas last month had become the first person to be diagnosed with the
Ebola virus in the U.S. Health officials later said they were monitoring
several more people for signs of illness, including five children who
had contact with the first Ebola patient.
Yes, that is frightening. Ebola is deadly. There is no cure or vaccine. The Dallas case - or cases - probably won't be the last. This lethal virus has swept through West Africa, and the vast expanse of an ocean is no shield in the age of jetliners.
Yes, that is frightening. Ebola is deadly. There is no cure or vaccine. The Dallas case - or cases - probably won't be the last. This lethal virus has swept through West Africa, and the vast expanse of an ocean is no shield in the age of jetliners.
Scary
as it is, however, this unfolding story also should reassure Americans
as to how swiftly and effectively U.S. public-health workers can move to
contain a deadly virus: Workers are tracking those who came in contact
with the patient, who was diagnosed with Ebola several days after he
arrived in Texas to visit family members.
The patient showed no signs of the disease - fever, nausea and vomiting - before he boarded the plane or while he was en route. There's "zero chance" that he infected other passengers, said Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, because he showed no signs of infection on the flight. Unlike other viruses, Ebola spreads mainly via bodily fluids, not through the air.
America's public-health system has had plenty of time to prepare for this threat. Medical and hospital workers have drilled for wide-scale medical disasters since 9/11. They're adept at identifying and isolating victims, tracking others who may have been exposed and educating everyone about commonsense measures they can take to stay healthy.
So, how can Americans reduce their risk of exposure? You've heard this advice before. From your mom. A thousand times. Wash your hands. Don't touch your face. (The average adult touches his nose, mouth or eyes about 16 times an hour, researchers say.)
University of Arizona researchers showed how quickly a virus can race through the office: A door contaminated with a virus spreads the germ to about half the employees in an office in four hours. Ebola doesn't infect people through the air, but it remains a swift foe. The virus has burned through West Africa, killing thousands.
Four American doctors and aid workers airlifted out of Africa to receive treatment in the U.S. have survived. That's an excellent batting average against a virus that is lethal in Africa about half the time. The Dallas patient's condition has been upgraded from critical to serious but stable.
The CDC also reports that quick, effective action by doctors and other health workers in Nigeria has apparently brought an outbreak under control, with no new cases reported in more than 21 days.
At the same time, global efforts to battle the virus have picked up steam. President Obama has wisely pledged more American aid to help build hospitals in West Africa. Other donors around the world need to step up, too. Ebola in Dallas can quickly be followed by Ebola in Moscow, Riyadh, Paris, Beijing, Rome or Sao Paulo.
The Ebola epidemic will end. All of us can help determine when.
The Daily News occasionally runs editorials from other sources. This first appeared in the Chicago Tribune.
The patient showed no signs of the disease - fever, nausea and vomiting - before he boarded the plane or while he was en route. There's "zero chance" that he infected other passengers, said Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, because he showed no signs of infection on the flight. Unlike other viruses, Ebola spreads mainly via bodily fluids, not through the air.
America's public-health system has had plenty of time to prepare for this threat. Medical and hospital workers have drilled for wide-scale medical disasters since 9/11. They're adept at identifying and isolating victims, tracking others who may have been exposed and educating everyone about commonsense measures they can take to stay healthy.
So, how can Americans reduce their risk of exposure? You've heard this advice before. From your mom. A thousand times. Wash your hands. Don't touch your face. (The average adult touches his nose, mouth or eyes about 16 times an hour, researchers say.)
University of Arizona researchers showed how quickly a virus can race through the office: A door contaminated with a virus spreads the germ to about half the employees in an office in four hours. Ebola doesn't infect people through the air, but it remains a swift foe. The virus has burned through West Africa, killing thousands.
Four American doctors and aid workers airlifted out of Africa to receive treatment in the U.S. have survived. That's an excellent batting average against a virus that is lethal in Africa about half the time. The Dallas patient's condition has been upgraded from critical to serious but stable.
The CDC also reports that quick, effective action by doctors and other health workers in Nigeria has apparently brought an outbreak under control, with no new cases reported in more than 21 days.
At the same time, global efforts to battle the virus have picked up steam. President Obama has wisely pledged more American aid to help build hospitals in West Africa. Other donors around the world need to step up, too. Ebola in Dallas can quickly be followed by Ebola in Moscow, Riyadh, Paris, Beijing, Rome or Sao Paulo.
The Ebola epidemic will end. All of us can help determine when.
The Daily News occasionally runs editorials from other sources. This first appeared in the Chicago Tribune.
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