Don't Panic: Why Ebola Won't Become an Epidemic in New York (No mystery case in 40 year history)

[morningfog]

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Ebola only spreads via bodily fluids

Think wet and warm. The virus lives in vomit, diarrhea, blood and sweat. Heat kills it, it doesn’t survive being dried out, and it doesn’t travel through the air. It also doesn’t appear to stick to surfaces much, so unless Spencer threw up in a public place, he would not have exposed the public to the virus. Even if he did, someone would have to touch it and then carry wet particles to their eyes, nose or mouth to become infected.

Ebola patients cannot infect others before they are sick themselves

No one has been documented to have spread the virus before showing symptoms such as a high fever, vomiting and diarrhea. The virus builds up in the body as patients get sicker. In fact, people in the early stages of Ebola infection often test negative for the virus, because there’s not very much in their blood. While the virus is found in sweat and that might make people wary of public transport, what's meant by that is that it’s found in the profuse sweat of very ill patients and unlikely to be in the normal perspiration of an otherwise asymptomatic person.

Ebola does not spread through casual contact

The people most at risk of Ebola are caregivers and health care workers, who are physically touching Ebola patients at their sickest. In 40 years of studying Ebola outbreaks, no one has seen a mystery case. People are infected by direct contact with others — not casual contact on buses, trains or in the street.

Thomas Eric Duncan, the first person to die of Ebola in the United States, didn’t infect his girlfriend or other people who were in an apartment with him after he became ill. Close to 50 people who had some sort of contact with him all have passed the 21-day incubation period without disease. He did infect two nurses who had been intensively caring for him when he was very ill.

More: http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/ebola-virus-outbreak/dont-panic-why-ebola-wont-become-epidemic-new-york-n232826

[Bragi]

1. Annother non-panic factor: NYC not influenced by right-wing crazies

You need active, right-wing crazies to create real fear of minimal risks. NYC lacks this kind of critical mass of RW crazies, so sensible views will naturally prevail. This will reduce panic, and the spread of the disease.

[JaneyVee]

2. Funny you should mention this...

Going to work today everyone seemed business as usual, no sign of panics i.e. rubber gloves, masks, etc. and when I went into work everyone was like "Did you hear about Dr.Spencer? I hope he gets well soon". No panic there either. The only person freaking out in NY is Trump, whose had more bankruptcies than America has Ebola patients.

[SheilaT]

3. I am getting really tired of all the posters here

who apparently don't get how Ebola is contacted, and who think the most recent case of the doctor in NYC means we're facing a general epidemic.

[morningfog]

4. I don't understand how they can possibly STILL not understand.

[kestrel91316]

5. Some people don't WANT to understand.

For pete's sake, even I am a lot less worried about community spread now, and I know enough to take a very cautious view of stuff like this.

When Duncan's family and his community contacts were cleared, that really brought the message home. It's ALL about stage of illness.

[seveneyes]

6. Don't panic on the Titanic