Ebola and Other Maladies – a 4 Step Solution

    

First we were reassured by the CDC and administration that Ebola couldn’t be a problem here, because we know how to deal with it.  Then a single case of Ebola gets into the country, and one of the best hospitals in the country, and the CDC, can’t deal with it.  2 healthcare workers there now have contracted the disease from the person who died from it (it has 70% mortality rate with no known cure), after wearing the protective gear and following protocols.  Obviously they didn’t understand it as well as they assured us.  

On top of that, one of them began showing symptoms, and before traveling asked the CDC if she should, and they said yes!  When her symptoms were confirmed, everyone on the plane (over 100 people) is now a potential carrier and must be tracked.  And potentially everyone each of them comes in contact with – many hundreds more, etc., etc.  You can’t quarantine all of those people, or even thoroughly track them all and all their contacts.  And the plane has now been thoroughly disinfected and refurbished 4 times, costing millions of dollars and a plane out of service.  All from a single case let into the country. 

Now multiply all of that by any other people similarly allowed to come into the country who escape detection as did the first.  They may not exhibit symptoms on the flight, and there are indications that not everyone who’s contagious exhibits symptoms.  And this from the region where the disease is rampant with 10,000 new cases projected shortly to be arising weekly according to the World Health Organization.  We haven’t yet been able to manage and control a single case, and we want to risk being able to handle multiple others?  That’s absolute madness. 

There are 4 basic, common sense things that we need to do, that even a non-expert like myself can plainly see.  We can't afford to pick and choose which measures -- with something as infectious & deadly as Ebola, we need to err on the side of caution and implement all of them.

1.       Exercise Humility and Caution.  We (including the CDC & administration) first need to acknowledge that maybe we didn’t understand Ebola (or some other problems) as well as claimed – that you can only contract it from someone showing pronounced symptoms, and only by direct contact with bodily fluids.  And to act with appropriate extra caution.  One expert doctor who’s studied the disease for many years has proven that it enters lung tissue as any airborne disease.  And with billions of virus particles per drop of fluid (many more than any other disease), aerosolizing of it is absolutely not out of the question – either accidentally in the course of the illness (coughing, projectile vomiting, explosive diarrhea, handling of clothing/towels, etc. moistened with bodily fluids), or intentionally (terrorism).  Others have indicated that the virus can survive for hours on objects like doorknobs.  Or for days in other places.  Which apparently is why the plane has been thoroughly disinfected 4 times over several days.

Glenn Beck did a demo of how difficult it is for healthcare workers, and an animated tutorial on staying Ebola-free:  http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2014/10/16/Glenn-Beck-Combats-Ebola-With-Spaghetti-Songs-About-Not-Drinking-Glasses-of-Diarrhea.  On the lighter but darker humor side, you may have already heard on the radio "The Ebola Song," to the tune of the Kinks' "Lola": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUB44ltVJCA.  And on the more serious side, here's "Ebola is Real" by 2 Liberian musicians:  https://soundcloud.com/shadowmrgn/ebola-in-town-d-12-shadow-kuzzy-of-2kings.

2.       Regional Quarantine.  Until we have demonstrated that we truly do understand it, and are able to control it, we need to not allow the problem to become even more intractable by multiplying the problems we’ve already experienced by some unknown number of additional cases coming to the U.S. from West Africa.  In other words, we need to do the very rational, time-proven thing – quarantine.  If individual patients need to be quarantined, and entire neighborhoods in West Africa, it also makes sense to quarantine commercial flights out of the region and to the US where the disease is absolutely rampant.  35 other countries have already done that. 

But not ours – our arrogance that our health care system is so superior and we are so wise as to fully understand Ebola, prevent us.  Or at least the arrogance of the head of the CDC, whose advice our president apparently heeds.  And the CDC head can’t seem to articulate any rational reason for not implementing a travel ban, even in front of Congress.  Some reasons given include that it’ll make it worse!!!  Can anyone explain how?  Health care personnel and supplies can still get in and out under more controlled charter or military flights.  Another is that it’s politically incorrect (a racial thing? Or economic/3^rd world discrimination? Or because our president has African heritage?), or will hurt their economy.  And a full-scale outbreak in the US won’t hurt not only our economy but the world’s? Which is more important, lives or economies?  Now suddenly liberals are defenders of economies over social issues and life itself?  It’s a red herring.  There was no hesitation instituting a travel ban to/from Israel during the recent Gaza conflict – oh, that’s right, that’s politically correct.  No concern over their economy.  Another apparent concern that Charles Krauthammer addresses well is civil liberties ("Ebola vs. Civil Liberties," http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/charles-krauthammer-ebola-vs-civil-liberties/2014/10/16/5e249a28-5561-11e4-892e-602188e70e9c_story.html?wpisrc=nl-pdmost&wpmm=1).

Our president reassures us that he’ll send the (apparently only one) rapid response team anywhere there’s an instance of the disease.  And how many more teams will be needed if the single case continues to double every several days as it already has?  Or even faster if more cases are introduced from Africa.  You don’t need to be a mathematician to understand geometric or exponential growth.  And the Texas hospital already had a team of experts sent there, and look what happened.  And if the healthcare workers on the front line continue to be so devastated, who will care for even larger numbers of victims?  Who will be too afraid to?  

No, after Benghazi, the IRS scandal, Obamacare promises, Iraq, ISIS, etc., etc. why should we accept his hollow reassurances that we have this under control without additional measures?  After now having waited for 35 other countries (including France & UK) to institute commercial travel bans with West Africa, finally now he has an opportunity to do his favorite thing – lead from behind!  But I tend to agree with Senator Cruz that on this, as so many other issues, the president is fundamentally unserious.  Golf & fundraising he takes seriously.  He's too cautious -- half measures won't stop the spread of virulent diseases like Ebola & radical Islam (ISIS).  

3.       Control the Border.  And yet another action must finally be taken seriously.  Controlling air travel to/from West Africa does little good if, when the disease inevitably spreads to Central America and Mexico, they can freely cross our border.  The health care in those countries is abysmal compared to ours, and Ebola will spread even more rapidly there.  They may come here either unwittingly for economic reasons, to get away from the disease there, or wittingly to get better treatment here.  And there are other diseases that the illegals have already been introducing here.  But this is only one of many reasons to control the border, including terrorists (ISIS, etc.), human trafficking, child abuse, drugs, our economy, etc.  We meticulously controlled diseases and other problems by screening at Ellis Island – when there was controlled immigration. 

4.       Change of Leadership.  But apparently to the Democrat party, maintaining their political power by catering to political correctness and illegals is more important than our health and security.  It’s time to throw the bums out, and November 4^th is coming none too soon.

Michelle Malkin has written an insightful expose of all the relatively frivolous liberal causes du jour the CDC has been focusing on and spending its resources on, while ignoring its primary and basic responsibilities.  http://michellemalkin.com/2014/10/14/the-centers-for-everything-but-disease-control/ And the Dems have the gall to politicize Ebola by accusing the GOP of not providing enough funding for them to do their job?!!  Their budget has expanded, even under Bush, and Republicans approved in January an increase even larger than the president requested.  And Obamacare is supposed to provide even more and better health care.  More spending is the liberal panacea.  It hasn’t worked in any important area yet – poverty, education, stimulating the economy,……  Rather it’s exacerbated all of those problems – increasing the poverty and food stamp rolls, worse education performance, and mounting debt ($18 trillion) and unfunded liabilities ($100 trillion) that will be our (or our childrens’) economic downfall.

Again, throw the bums out Nov. 4!  Many Democrats running for office, desperately (and futilely) trying to retain the Senate, are rightly recognizing Obama’s political liability, and dissociating themselves from him and his policies.  A bit late for that, after having wholeheartedly and unreservedly endorsed and defended him and his policies for 6 years.  It’s time to go with the party that is consistent and right on the issues.  Or for any who don’t believe that, at least to try something different. 

Remember the adage that doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is the very definition of insanity.  We need an electorate that is informed to avoid that insanity.  Unfortunately, the mainstream media and academia are complicit with the Democrat talking points.  They’ll focus for weeks on some NFL abuser, and ignore the elephants in the room.  Distractions – like the dogs hearing “squirrel!” in “Up.”  

Don’t be distracted, or be satisfied by hollow reassurances for the umpteenth time.  If you are, don’t be surprised if you see Ebola, terrorism, and economic collapse on your doorsteps.  And if you don’t think it can happen here, think again.