Nonlinear FC wrote:I'm gonna go full on hipster and say I was freaking out about Ebola before it was cool.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hot_Zone" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I read that book when it came out and was absolutely convinced we were doomed, DOOMED! I never really put it completely out of my mind and would occasionally check back in... Here's where the story turned in my head:
There have been MULTIPLE EBOLA OUTBREAKS, it's just that this one found a region not able to contain it as effectively as in the past outbreaks. http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/outbreaks/ ... aries.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I don't watch CNN or Fox, so I'm not being caustic when I ask if they are reporting the following:
* Nigeria and Senegal are very close to containing/wiping out this iteration of the outbreak in their countries.
* Carriers are only able to pass along the virus when they are exhibiting symptoms. In other words, during the (up to) 21 day incubation period, you can't pass the virus along. If you are running a 102 fever and vomiting... Yeah, maybe don't go out to the pub.
* This virus is not airborne. It's extremely contagious, don't get me wrong. But the fear mongering on this point is just horrible. I have a fear that aliens will populate my ear canal and force me to listen to Hall & Oates for the rest of my life. So what?
Yes, this is a huge issue and hopefully the coverage will a) get help to the people of Liberia and Guinea and b) focus people (again) on the need to be prepared to address the threat of epidemics --> pandemics.
But I think the speculation and what I assume is rampant fear mongering is just another example of just how horrible and fucked up our media is these days.
While it is clearly a horrible disease, and I don't mean to make light of the disease itself, it just isn't a disease that will rapidly spread. I don't watch any of the news channels, but I do read sites that post clips from Fox and CNN. I'm sure I am just seeing the worst of it, so I can't speak to the overall coverage, but CNN seems to be talking about Ebola every time I am at the gym, and that in itself it unwarranted hype.
Fox has taken a different approach, using Ebola cases in the US as another issue to blame on Obama. Obama refuses to cancel all flights to and from Africa. Obama hates America and wants it destroyed by an AFRICAN virus, because he is a Kenyan Fascist Commie terrorist. Fox's entire premise is to terrify the elderly and feeble minded. I've seen a lot of interviews with medical professionals saying there is no reason to fear, then the interviewers completely ignore them and throw out hypotheticals like, "but if I am on a plane and some guy sneezes, I'm guaranteed to get Ebola, right?" "There is a case in Dallas, I'm a Seahawks fan. Since the Seahawks lost to the Cowboys, I am guaranteed to get Ebola, right?"
Then you have the true nutters. Alex Jones saying that Obama brought Ebola into the country because he wants to kill 90% of Americans. Others saying Obama either plans to spread Ebola or is going to conveniently use Ebola as an excuse to quarantine millions of Americans in internment camps.