Mike Mosko
English 2
December 16th
You’re overreacting, and It’s Not Helping.
The coming of Ebola and its subsequent global spread has becoming impossible to ignore. In just over 8 months, the virus has infected a confirmed amount of almost 18,000 people worldwide, with over 6,000 of those cases resulting in death (CDC). Coinciding with the sudden appearance of cases emerging within the United States, the country is experiencing its most widespread health scare since the introduction of AIDS in the 1980’s. The thought of contracting the disease is terrifying, capable of invoking strong instinctual reactions, especially when considering the near 60% kill rate and the horrendous damage it can cause to the body. While we have witnessed a Third-World …show more content…
If there is one piece of information that everyone knows regarding Ebola it is that it can kill you. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), its fatality rate historically ranges from 25% to 90% depending on treatment. By disabling the body’s natural defenses, the virus attacks the internal organs directly, causing extensive bleeding, vomiting, and diarrhea. (independent) In order to cause such extreme symptoms, upon infection, the virus attaches itself to the body’s cells and multiplies. It then begins to secrete a protein called ebolavirus glycoprotein, which attacks the blood vessels, causing them leak blood. This results in hemorrhagic (bleeding) symptoms and given enough time, shock or death. (Mishra) These bleeding symptoms that are so commonly associated with Ebola only occur in about 16% of patients, as many die before or are cured before they occur (WHO). According the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the national health institute of the United States, it is flu-like symptoms such as, fever, head ache, muscle ache, drossiness, vomiting and diarrhea, that are most common and are considered the telltale signs of infection. Without bleeding these symptoms make it difficult to distinguish Ebola from other common ailments outside of medical containment. Thus, the most effective way to determine infection is through the …show more content…
Although the sense of urgency that was so prevalent a month ago has cooled off and the public hysteria has died down, there is still reason to believe that Ebola could remerge at any point in time. However, based on the last few months it is more likely that 5 people will get stuck by lightning at the same time. Nevertheless, this begs a question. Can the public’s “Fear-bola” be diminished before a second a wave of panic ensues? Yes, there is a prospective miracle cure in the works by the name of ZMapp, and yes, following one misstep, the CDC has been flawless in containment. While these are solutions that assuredly calm nerves, for any real change to occur, Ebola needs to first be looked at in a different light. The public needs to understand that a global health crisis is much more then just a piece of glorified news. It has only manifested as such because the media knows how to control hysteria: by stirring the pot and creating more of it. A global health crisis represents the rare opportunity to change the world for the better, not as a nation but as a species. To do so would require a level of humility, willingness and acceptance to understand the true scale of a virus that is so frightening on a personal level, but also very unlikely to contract. Ultimately, the United States is a nation fueled by unrest, whether it is outrage over a court ruling, celebration over winning a World Cup match or