Have you touched the vomit, blood, sweat, saliva, urine or feces of someone who might have the Ebola virus disease? No? Then you do not have Ebola virus disease.
A better question to ask is why is the Ebola virus disease a new joke? It’s a life-threatening disease that has killed hundreds, yet people are already starting popular sayings such as “I look like I have Ebola” or “I would rather have Ebola than (insert first-world problem here).” Are we so insensitive that we choose to turn a deadly illness into a new punch line?
It seems I am asking more questions than a normal person would. However, the reason I question to this extent is because there is so much confusion over the way Americans are acting toward this epidemic.
When Thomas Eric Duncan, the first patient to be diagnosed with Ebola virus disease in the U.S., was diagnosed at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas last Sunday Ebola became the number one news story nationwide. The virus has not ravaged the United States.
But the word Ebola is ubiquitous, and so is the fear that comes with it. This is both a biological plague and a psychological one, and fear can spread even faster than the virus. Ebola has captured our collective fear because it, like epidemic movies, relies on a fictional burst of imagination. Ebola is an ingredient in an outbreak story we’re already primed to tell.
While I am no doctor, nor a researcher of the disease, I am an observer of the current status of the health systems and news corporations.
As Dr. Paul Farmer pointed out during an Interview on Aug. 15, 2014, the current Ebola virus disease outbreak is a stark reminder that we need to focus on strengthening our entire health systems, from supporting community health workers who accompany patients and conduct active case-finding to bolstering the capacity of Ministries of Health so that they are well-staffed and well-supplied to respond when such outbreaks occur. He stated, “Community health workers, who almost never get remembered, could and should be the front line against epidemics like this, but they need the support that all of us need if we’re going to be health care providers, and that support, again, requires tools for diagnosis, for care, and for self-protection. If we are willing to invest in these systems, we’ll always find people willing to take risks to help serve the rest of humanity.” Simply put, we need to focus on health care worldwide. Since the U.S. has developed a cure to Ebola, we should be helping others with the treatment and medication.
Community engagement is key to successfully controlling outbreaks. Good outbreak control relies on applying a package of interventions, namely case management, surveillance and contact tracing, a good laboratory service, safe burials and social mobilization.
The other issue brought to light through the Ebola epidemic is the media’s response. By googling “Ebola,” one finds millions of news articles dating from 30 seconds ago to three weeks. With the nation in fear of an outbreak, which is highly unlikely, news corporations continue to use headlines such as “unimaginable tragedy” and “Ebola ravages.” The media continues to use false headlines to gain larger audiences and satisfy consumers. Scientists know how to stop the virus from spreading throughout the U.S., yet panic continues to spread as Americans remain uneducated, uninterested and fearful of the next tragedy in America.
Lilly is a freshman columnist for The Daily Cardinal. Tell us your opinion and please send all of your feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
