Why You Are NOT Dying of Ebola.

By: Zak Rosen '16

Of the ten thousand reported cases of Ebola, 99.95% of them have happened in Africa. 4 have occurred in the United States. Almost 37 times as many people die of second hand smoke A DAY than have been infected in the US so far. You have a better chance of being hit by a car on your way to Severn.

Ebola is not very infectious. At all. Compared to small pox, SARS, the bubonic plague, or internet memes, it does not infect nearly as easily. You can stand next to an Ebola patient for hours an not be infected. If you are really frightened of Ebola, don’t become a doctor in a region where Ebola is a problem; medical personnel have some of the highest rates of infection (they are cleaning up the patients’ vomit after all).

Ebola is endemic to certain regions of Africa and was probably given to patient zero through bushmeat or exposure to an animal. The region is especially vulnerable to the spread of the disease because the infrastructure of some of these nations is not nearly as advanced as ours. We have the CDC, which is perfectly equipped to handle any diseased persons entering the United States. Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Liberia really need assistance. Some nations are helping them, but there is more to be done. If you really don’t want Ebola, don’t go to Sierra Leone, Guinea, or Liberia. If you really need to go, then don’t eat fruit bats. Simple stuff.