With the Ebola virus continuing to spread in West Africa, and with cases now in both Europe and North America, many ordinary people are beginning to worry that the virus could threaten them wherever they live. But is this reasonable given what scientists know about Ebola? Should people be worried? We take a look at the biggest myths surrounding the virus.
1. First world countries are safe from Ebola.
As the recent case in Spain showed us, Ebola transmission can occur in first world nations. Nurse Teresa Romero Ramos contracted the virus while providing care for Ebola victims who had returned from Africa. Officials believed she became infected when she touched her face after removing her protective clothing and before she washed her hands. Officials in the U.S. and Europe remain confident that they will be able to stop the spread of Ebola in their and other first world nations, and they might be right; however, now that we know Ebola isn't just Africa's problem, people have a reason to be wary of this situation.
2. The U.S. is better prepared to fight Ebola because of 9/11.
While the U.S. did enact biohazard preparedness protocols after September 11, 2001, they were aimed at bioterrorism, which is different from the spread of a naturally occurring virus. U.S. officials really have never faced an epidemic like Ebola on their home soil, which means that while they have some of the best health care workers and facilities in the world, they lack experience. Essentially, the only way to be prepared to treat Ebola on a large scale, is by doing it.
3. Ebola can become airborne.
Barring a mutation that would be beyond anything science has ever observed, the Ebola virus cannot attach to the alveolar cells inside human lungs, which would be necessary for airborne transmission. So people can relax about having to fear simply being near someone with Ebola. Transmission is currently only know to occur when people come in contact with infected body fluids.
4. Banning travel from Africa to the U.S. would stop Ebola from spreading here.
Recent history has shown that such travel bans--like in the cases of SARS and the 'swine flu'--were ineffective at stopping the spread of diseases. In both of those cases, the viruses eventually found their way into populations enacting travel bans or other such policies designed to prevent them spreading.
5. Ebola vaccines are the answer
While there are many vaccines currently being made to treat Ebola, none have been adequately tested--on humans or animals--enough to prove they will actually work. Typically, it takes years to develop a vaccine to the point where it can be approved for human trials. But because of the severity of the current Ebola outbreak, health organizations have allowed human trials to begin immediately for several unproven vaccines. If these trials don't show any immediate side effects on those who volunteer for it, then the greenlight will be given to begin larger scale trials in African countries affected by the virus.
Confirmed Cases of Ebola in the U.S.
OMAHA
A freelance cameraman on assignment for NBC in Liberia, was flown to the U.S. last week after he was diagnosed with Ebola. The patient, Ashoka Mukpo, is currently being treated in Omaha, Nebraska.
DALLAS
The first Ebola case ever in the U.S., Thomas Eric Duncan passed away earlier this week. He famously was sent home by officials at a Dallas hospital after complaining to a nurse of Ebola-like symptoms.
EMORY
Emory University continues to treat a patient who contracted the virus in West Africa. CNN reported that the patient is a male who became infected while in Sierra Leone.
