The Ebola craze has been sweeping the nation-literally. We have all heard about the virus…it is impossible to be oblivious to this virus that has been making appearances in several states across the U.S., and making headlines around the globe. People are scared. They don’t understand how to contract Ebola, what it does to their bodies, or how to treat it. The media only feeds their fear. The reality is though, that people need to do their research before they freak out. If treated early on in advanced hospitals, the virus is entirely curable. As evident from New York City doctor, Craig Spencer, who tested positive for Ebola and is now set to be released on Tuesday, November 11, 2014.
Craig Spencer was the first person in the busy and crammed-populated city to test positive for the Ebola virus. He had been in Guinea treating Ebola patients as a part of the Doctors Without Borders program. After monitoring himself for symptoms, he reported a fever of 100.3 to authorities the morning of October 23, 2014 and was immediately rushed to be treated at Bellevue Hospital. His reported infection put the citizens of New York City on the edge of panic mode, as authorities went on a scavenger hunt for all who he had been in contact with since he returned. Those contacts, his fiancée, as well as himself were all put under quarantine. Spencer was given a range of treatments, “including an experimental drug and blood plasma donated by a recovered Ebola patient, Nancy Writebol” who had contracted Ebola as a missionary in Liberia. At first Spencer’s condition was serious, but by last week he was looking for activities to pass his time in isolation.
Dr. Craig Spencer’s recovery proved that when treated early and in advanced American hospitals, Ebola has much lower chance at achieving a fatality. Whereas in West African field hospitals, Ebola is killing 70% of its victims because it is “starved of doctors, nurses and equipment”. In the United States, 8/9 Ebola patients treated have survived. That 1/9, Thomas Eric Duncan, resulted in a fatality only because his treatment was delayed after a misdiagnosis.
To read more about this article check out this link from the, New York Times!
Recently, this has become such a serious problem, whether in a third world country like Africa, or even in a well-developed country like America. Unfortunately, those poorer countries have less opportunity and funding to treat Ebola in the proper way, leading to many more deaths. I am so glad that American doctors and nurses have been fortunate enough to have access to treatment and many of them are getting better. I hope that soon we can transfer this aid towards those places that don’t have enough money to do it themselves.
Thankfully the fatality rate of ebola seems to be declining (apparently a common phenomenon during highly infectious disease outbreaks where people begin to diagnose earlier and treat better). I actually saw this AMA from a group of scientists who now believe that ebola has become a social disease with more negative effects coming form fear mongering and misinformation than the disease itself.
http://www.reddit.com/r/science/comments/2lo46g/science_ama_series_we_are_a_group_of_columbia/