Reporting on Fear – Keep calm and turn off the news

Ebola is a dangerous disease.  It’s the stuff of horror movies.  Vomiting blood, bleeding eyes, liquid bowels.  It’s scary.  There have literally been books written about how dangerous this disease feels.  Here is a well written one: The Hot Zone  http://smile.amazon.com/dp/B007DCU4IQ/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_txyvub10YPTFM

It’s also pretty easy to quarantine and control.  You aren’t contagious when you aren’t sick.  That is a huge win for public health.  It’s pretty easy to ask people to take their temperature every day and wash their hands.  When someone isn’t projectile vomiting on you, you are not going to be sick by being within 40 feet.  You aren’t going to be sick from a sneeze on the subway. 

But wash your hands and be careful about your contacts after being in contact with Ebola patients doesn’t make good news.  Reporting is about selling fear.  Pay attention to the news or you will die gets a much bigger audience then this is a cool story.

Our medical professionals who are literally putting their lives on the land to volunteer in Africa should be treated as heroes, not prisoners.  But Ebola is in on backyard sells papers.  Nurse is still healthy after serving in Africa is less so.  A daily log of her temperature isn’t riveting news. 

Nigeria had a handful of cases of Ebola after an infected traveler arrived.  They implemented immediate hand-washing stations outside of buildings.  People waved instead of kissing for a few weeks.  The chain of infection stopped quickly.  They are now once again Ebola free. 

There are a lot of people who live in fear of the end-times.  This isn’t it.  Be calm and turn off the news!