If one is going to be frightened of Ebola they should already be frightened by a myraid of issues in the world. There're so many things we can die from. Admittedly, it's far worse in developing countries, but the shadow of death hangs over us all. One wonders how developing nations survive, considering developed nations suffer too.
Leading causes of death in the US:
1 Heat Attack
2 Cancer
3 Chronic lower respiratory diseases
4 Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases)
5 Accidents (unintentional injuries)
6 Alzheimer's disease
7 Diabetes
8 Influenza and Pneumonia
9 Kidney disease: Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis
10 Intentional self-harm (suicide): ~40,000 deaths
* The top 10 causes account for ~75% of all deaths
* The top 3 causes account for over 50% of all deaths
The difference between developed countries and developing is stark. For example, 30,000 people in India die per year from Rabies. Rabies is a ~100% fatal viral infection if not vaccinated against before it enters the nervous system and can incubate for many years there. In the US, by comparison, only a couple people die per year on average. And yet Rabies is almost never detected in the sufferer until the final stages of the infection. This is a combination of the sufferer being unaware and the high cost and time involved detecting it in its incubation stage. Hence, Rabies also tends to spread via organ donations in developed countries. Human to human infection by other means is not yet documented.
Much of the high death toll due to Rabies in India is related to them not vaccinating enough animals. And the comparably higher cost of a human vaccination means vaccinating the animals is the best option.
Btw, thousands of animals per year are killed in the US because of suspect Rabies infection. Bats, by far, are probably the greatest Rabies' host. Thankfully, I think most don't come out during the day.
In any case, OP, you're right. If trained professionals in protective gear are failing, average civilians will almost surely fail hard. That doesn't mean Ebola is a serious threat to life in the US, but it might be if it spreads. Yet think for a moment: If it ever becomes bad in the US, it'll be living hell for developing countries.
I hope they make a vaccine. Developing nations need a lot of help. God, I could barely read a story in National Geographic about the Aids/genocide crisis in Africa in the 1980's. Those people went through hell.
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