Sources: Huffington Post, YourHHRS News
Yes, Ebola is a real threat that must be taken seriously. But more and more, we’re seeing logical, science-backed responses give way to behavior fueled by our primal fears and inexcusable prejudices. So here we present some common-sense guidelines on handling the threat of Ebola in the U.S. — because apparently someone needs to.
DO: Remember that Africa is a huge continent home to more than 1 billion people, and there have been about 10,000 cases of Ebola — a ratio of one hundred thousand to one.
DO: Appreciate all the medical personnel and volunteers who are fighting Ebola wherever they are.
DO: Point out that there’s a difference between primal fear and gratuitous witch-hunt hysteria.
DO: Understand that many Ebola symptoms are the same as many common illnesses, especially the flu.
DO: Keep in mind that people get sick all the time and you should not instantly diagnose Ebola if they should get sick around you.
DO: Know that only three countries in Africa are experiencing an Ebola epidemic — Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia — and that it’s only because that’s where the Ebola-carrying fruit bats are.
DO: Refuse to fear, ostracize or shame people simply because they been to Africa recently, especially if it wasn’t to Guinea, Sierra Leone, or Liberia.
DO: Take comfort in knowing that only two people have contracted Ebola on American soil; that they contracted it by caring for someone who didn’t contract it on American soil; and that they’ve both recovered.
DO: Learn from the unnecessary incarceration of nurse Kaci Hickcox that above-normal forehead temperature readings should be immediately confirmed with oral temperature readings.
DO: Advocate for requiring people traveling from Ebola-affected countries to wait 21 to 30 days and test negative before being issued their tickets. It’s a more efficient protocol policy both logistically and financially.
And most important of all:
DO NOT BECOME THIS PERSON.
