ASK Musings

Right now there is a lot of attention focused on Ebola Virus Disease (EVD). It’s been causing death and illness overseas for many months; interest in the U.S. didn’t rise much until the first U.S. citizens were infected and transported back for treatment. And now that a man has died in Dallas the media is focusing even more on the disease, even though thousands more have died before him in western African nations. It seems we don’t care about death and destruction much until it arrives in our neighborhoods.

Some media outlets do seem to be trying very hard to provide quality reporting on this issue; others, however, are not doing a great job. There are people yelling for us to close the borders, or prevent ill U.S. citizens from coming home for treatment. The topic seems to bring out the worst in some people – some are even angry that hospitals in the U.S. are willing to accept these patients. With that in mind, I hope that as you consume media about EVD, you consider the source and compare the information provided to the scientific facts that disease experts are sharing. If this is a topic that interests you, please consider informing yourself directly at the source. The CDC website has a ton of really good information on this disease, and is a great place to start understanding what it is, how it is transmitted, and how it is contained.