We all watched Outbreak in health junior year. We all know what this deadly Ebola disease can do. But now that Ebola is here in the United States, should we all go into isolation and avoid contact until the disease disappears again? According to the CDC, “The risk of an outbreak in the U.S. is very low.” This is because the disease does not spread through casual contact and the CDC believes they can stop it before it spreads at all. Their plan to control Ebola is “through case finding, isolation of ill people, contacting people exposed to the ill person, and further isolation of contacts if they develop symptoms.” They fully believe that the US can put a full halt to spread of the disease, unlike in West Africa. Still, Ebola has a lot of people worried.

Emergency rooms all around the country have been preparing to get a possible Ebola patient. People with a common cold have been rushing to the hospital thinking that they have contracted the deadly illness. There have actually only been 16 confirmed cases of Ebola outside of West Africa, and only three of those patients have died. In America, three patients have actually fully recovered after being diagnosed with Ebola. Because more developed countries can handle Ebola better than African countries can, it is not as big of a worry. In Africa, the mortality rate is 70% and there are hundreds of new cases a week.

Honestly the only reason to really worry about contracting Ebola is if you have recently visited West Africa or if you have come in contact with someone showing symptoms of being sick who have also recently visited West Africa. Thomas Eric Duncan, the first person to contract the disease on US soil, was in Liberia five days before he showed symptoms. Had he not been in Africa, he would not have gotten, and died, from Ebola. The chances of a VHS student coming in contact with Ebola is slim to none. That’s not to say impossible. But with the CDC prepared and taking every threat seriously, I will not lose sleep worrying about Ebola.