Ebola Fear? Please check-in here...

This is from posting on Depression. One of the moderators there suggested I bring the discussion here as well, to hopefully calm the fear of the scared and anxious.

Please be aware that, while Ebola is a very real health concern in possibility, it is simply not probable that it will make any serious inroads here.

The media is creating fear through their reporting. They take an incident, and exaggerate the affects and causes in order to grab listeners/readers. Then, the exaggerations become exaggerated. It becomes a never-ending circle, and USUALLY has nothing to do with the reality of the situation.

The media's JOB is get readers and viewers, so they dishonestly use the best hook. Fear is the best hook they can get. It works better than happiness, or anger.

Look at your news sources closely. For instance, I listen to NPR, watch PBS Newshour, and follow the New York Times and Washington Post. Sometimes the BBC. That is IT. No CNN, no MSNBC, none of the all-news channels. I stopped using any other sources after 9-11, especially avoiding any 24-hour news stations. Why? Because the channels that feature news stories need material 24 hours a day. There is simply not that much new information to share effectively. So, they keep saying the same thing, and it gets a little bigger with each iteration, and with each anchor who wants to gain viewership. It warps the truth.

Also, I would say that the more often the viewer hears the news, the more the news takes on a disproportionally larger meaning in their worldview.

For example, I am in North/Central Maryland. Let's say there is an infected person who lands in Kansas. What are my chances? Well, pretty low to non-existent. How about another fictional case in Tennessee. Again, low to none. What about Washington DC? Still low to none, so long as I practice safety measures, and trust the NIH to handle the event. The current recommendations in Dallas are that in public, people should not have direct contact with one another. No shaking hands, no hugging, etc.

In many ways, I feel as if the two cases in Texas are a wake-up call, which will prompt more vigilance and better information. I mean, let's make a mistake and then learn from it. That will ensure better practices nation-wide. That's how education works--the learner gets better from mistakes that can be corrected.

Please, everyone, listen to the news, but don't fear that Ebola will come to you either now or at all. Wash hands, use sanitizer, and practice good public hygiene by not shaking hands, hugging, or kissing people.

Hi Billybologna

Thanks for this post hopefully it will put a lot of members minds at rest, I agree that things have not been handled properly and feel that the western world should of stepped in to help in Africa months ago.

Hibee

Thank you MG!!

Well written. I have so little knowledge in this area, that I have avoided posting on the subject.

We are lucky to have someone of your expertise here to clearly outline the situation for us!

S.C.

Miss Gigi your response was great!! You bringing up how none of the other people in that first guy's circle have gotten sick so far is reassuring. I actually had never thought about that. Like you I normally always jump to worse case scenario but with these type of things I can usually not let it get to me. With this though it just seems like so many mistakes have been made that I worry even more. I agree with you about the hospital in Dallas not being prepared but I've heard from people who work in hospitals that they aren't any better prepared now either. So I wonder what the truth is when it comes to just how well our hospitals will be able to care for and protect us and the poor healthcare workers?

When it all comes down to it all we can do is hope for the best. I really hope that there are no more mistakes being made and that people who have been in contact with the sick stop deciding to fly and go on cruises. I hate to judge anyone but I'm pretty confident that non of us here would've thought it a smart idea to jump on a plane or cruise ship if we'd had a chance of exposure. I just don't understand why the people aren't staying put for at the very least the minimum amount of time.

Either way Gigi you helped ease this anxious mind some, and you know that is no easy task lol!