Irrational Fear And Panic Worse Than The Disease Itself

A few months ago, I recorded a television program on the History Channel about the Black Plague that devastated Europe during the mid 14th century. This pandemic began when invading Mongols from Central Asia were besieging the city of Constantinople (now Istanbul). Instead of catapulting stones and burning oil into the city, the Mongols began catapulting the bodies of their dead who had died from a disease we now know as the bubonic plague. This early example of biological warfare introduced the plague to Constantinople. Soon, residents of the city began dying from that disease. 

Mounting deaths from the disease eventually forced the Mongols to break their siege of Constantinople and retreat. But visiting traders from Constantinople introduced the bubonic plague in their port cities of Venice, Genoa, and Rome. From there, the disease spread throughout Europe along roads travelled by traders, armies, and merchants. Eventually, the disease was throughout Europe and before it waned several years later, more than a third of Europe’s population was dead.  

In the 14th century, people had no idea of how this disease was spread. Widespread panic ensued whenever someone in a village took sick with the plague. Houses of the sick were burned and some people began travelling throughout the countryside in a religious fervor in hope of stemming this disease. 

Of course, now we know how the bubonic plague is spread and how to treat this disease. 

Fast forward nearly 700 years to the 21st century and a new dreaded disease from foreign shores brings the same panic that the plague brought in the 14th century. A man from West Africa enters the United States on a visit like millions do each year. He is not showing any symptoms of the disease when he arrives in the United States. But soon afterward, he visits a hospital emergency room complaining of a high fever and abdominal pains.  

He is seen and then sent home with Tylenol and antibiotics. A few days later, he returns to the same emergency room, burning with fever with diarrhea and vomiting. He is diagnosed with the dreaded Ebola disease. A week later this man dies from the disease. 

Then, two nurses who treated this man show up with the disease. One takes a flight to Cleveland and visits family in Akron over a weekend to plan her upcoming wedding. According to the nurse, she was cleared to take this trip. She did not show any symptoms until her return flight when all she had was a low grade fever. 

But because some other people were on the same flight as this nurse or because others flew on the same plane; schools were closed, a city hall was closed, and businesses were also closed. Despite solid medical evidence that Ebola is not spread by air, but only through close contact with bodily fluids from a person definitely showing symptoms of the disease; people in the United States go into full panic mode. Irresponsible politicians, looking to score political points, feed this panic. Now, we have the governor of New Jersey imposing a 21 day mandatory quarantine for any health care workers coming to his state from West Africa, despite the fact that people are not contagious until they begin showing symptoms of the disease. 

But so far only one person has died from the Ebola disease in the United States. Now, those two nurses who became infected from treating him have now been declared Ebola free. The 21 day quarantine and watch period for those who came into close contact with the man who brought Ebola to the United States is almost over with no one else showing the disease. 

But the truth is that Americans are far more likely to contract or die from the flu or pneumonia than Ebola. How many people have not gotten an annual flu shot? One benefit of the ACA or Obamacare is that preventative care, including immunizations like flu shots and pneumonia shots are covered at no cost for everyone. Yet many Americans out of ignorance, laziness, or complacency still have not received a flu shot. How many American workers show up for work despite showing symptoms of the flu or pneumonia where they can spread the disease throughout the work place? A parent who sends a sick child to school because they cannot afford to miss a day of work can spread the flu or whatever disease throughout the entire school. 

In the United States, we should be vigilant against the spread of any disease entering this country from abroad. But we have such cavalier attitudes toward more familiar diseases here at home that have a far greater potential to make us sick or even kill us. So, before anyone talks about travel bans from West African nations or mandatory quarantines for health care workers; perhaps they should make sure that they have gotten their flu shot first.