[symple_spacing size=”80″]The present situation with the Ebola outbreak within the United States (US) has taken a turn for the worse. A nurse in Texas that treated a man who died of the disease has herself contracted it. It is not known at this time how she did so, but the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the local authorities are looking into how it was transmitted to her.

At this time there have been a number of scares throughout the US and at this time there are five airports where people entering the country from Western Africa are being screened for signs of this horrible disease. Basically incoming passengers will have their temperature taken by a non-contact heat reading instrument to see if they are running a fever and will be required to fill out a questionnaire by CDC personnel. In the near future Coast Guard personnel will also help out at our airports. These five airports are where the majority of people who enter the US from Western Africa usually go through.

The screening of incoming passengers at airports is the front line of our defense against Ebola and it makes me feel very scared that these screeners are only taking a passenger’s temperature and having them fill out a questionnaire. I know that they are trained personnel and they know what to look for, but Ebola has an incubation period of 2 to 21 days according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The first symptoms are the sudden onset of fever, fatigue, muscle pain, headache and sore throat, sounds just like the Flu to me. This makes it much harder for a trained professional to identify Ebola from the flu much less a lay person.

There have been a number of false reports of Ebola cases due to the fact that a blood test has to be taken to confirm it is Ebola or not. Transmission so far is by physical contact with an infected person and not through the air, i.e. you cannot get it by breathing it into your lungs. At least not yet and I hope this never happens. For if it transforms itself into an airborne transmitted disease a pandemic could breakout and I think that we would experience what it was like in the 14th Century when people were dying from the Black Death, also know as Bubonic Plague. The Black Death wiped out whole villages in Europe and I hope Ebola never comes anywhere near doing that here or anywhere else.

Yes, I am painting a very scary picture and you should be very aware of what is happening. Do not become complacent (or totally ignore) what is happening because it is scary or disturbing. The best thing you can do is know where Ebola has been found here in this country and what you might have to do to protect yourself against it.

Please do not panic, doing so will not help you or anyone else. For now it is being contained and watched by the authorities. While the network news programs have been making Ebola scarier than it should be to up their ratings, they are still a good source of information when you know what the real facts are about this disease. I only writing about this subject so you have some information on this disease and what is happening here at home without all the hype.

That is my opinion – Jumpin Jersey Mike

PS Doctor Nancy Snyderman who was exposed to Ebola via a cameraman who contracted it was on voluntary isolation in Princeton NJ. She broke isolation and was seen in Princeton going to shops.  She is now under guard.  Isn’t that wonderful, a doctor should know better!