Yesterday a bus in Washington, D.C. was stopped and inspected after a passenger vomited while on the train, it happened near the Pentagon. In another case, a lady was told to stay inside the lavatory of a plane after falling ill during the flight.
What I’m trying to say is… that people are overreacting to Ebola. Yes, it’s here but it’s controlled. The three cases of Ebola have been from 1) a foreign national who was visiting, known as Mr. Duncan, 2) a nurse caring for Mr. Duncan and 3) another nurse caring for Mr. Duncan.
We are very fortunate to be in a controlled environment. Western African nations are not so fortunate to have a control environment, they have a reason to overreact and panic. However, we, as Americans, do not. So next time someone vomits, sneezes or coughs – don’t think Ebola!
It is more likely that they have the common cold or flu than Ebola. Should we take precaution? Yes… precaution means we wash our hands, cover our nose and mouth and so on. But not inconvenience everyone because one person vomits. Maybe they drank too much? Ate a bad donut? Who knows, but it is very unlikely that it is Ebola.
So what are the symptoms of Ebola?
- Fever greater than 101.5°F;
- Severe headache;
- Muscle pain;
- Muscular aches;
- Abdominal pain; and
- Unexplained hemorrhage.
The above mentioned symptoms are also symptoms commonly found in the common cold, the flu and many other viruses.
So… DO NOT PANIC!