Ebola: A Concern For Connecticut Students?

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By Craig Millard, Reporter

Could Ebola possibly be the harbinger of man kind? Is it as big of a deal as many people make it out to be? For a Connecticut student, Ebola is not a big deal. It is just some virus going on in some random countries in Africa and now in Texas. But who cares right? Most students here won’t be going to Africa anytime soon, and Texas is far, who would want to go there too?

Social media sites like Twitter are what really spread knowledge of Ebola. Some recent casual posts consist of captions like “when bae has Ebola but you try to give her love anyway” accompanied with a picture of Rick from the Walking Dead chummy with one of the zombies. Basically Ebola is a joke here. Hardly anyone takes it seriously. However, the Yale student who had the Ebola scare probably doesn’t view this as a joke. When you are told you likely have a life threatening disease, that might kill you in a matter of days in the most painful and uncomfortable ways possible, it is not a joke. It is a serious matter that is devastating to them and their family.

According to the CDC, there is a mere three confirmed cases in the U.S. Three confirmed cases which are making everyone lose their minds. Ebola has only resulted in about 5000 deaths this year, which is only half to a third of confirmed cases of Ebola. Malaria on the other hand has resulted in about 600,000 deaths this year.The numbers here do not even compare, Malaria blows Ebola out of the water, but Malaria doesn’t make the news, or lead to specialized photos on Twitter.

So the question is this: what is the big deal with Ebola? Why is everyone making such a big deal out of something so small compared to other viruses and diseases. There are two answers for this, one basic, the other underscores the gruesome curiosity of mankind. The fist reason is that Ebola was never heard of a few months ago, and then all of a sudden it is killing thousands. So the speed it has grown is a factor of its popularity.

The second, awful reason for the Ebola outbreak in social media is the fact that the sickness is brutal. A person with Ebola develops bruises in the early stages, and eventually they bleed from all orifices as the disease takes over the body. The disease is gross and gruesome, which is exactly why it both fascinates and scares us. It is a horror movie in real life. It is the equivalent to little kids poking dead animals with sticks. Man kind has always been fascinated by grotesque and unusual things. Ebola is simply popular because of its vulgar nature.

On a more world-wide level, Ebola spreads from direct bodily fluid contact. The WHO and the CDC have both begun to quarantine those diagnosed with the sickness very effectively. As with the instance in Texas, they quarantined those diagnosed and then also kept a close eye on anyone who came into contact with those who were originally infected. As of right now, BBC news says about five countries have had Ebola casualties. 5,000 deaths spreading out through five countries are not impressive numbers. So as of right now, Ebola is not necessarily a disease designated to wipe humanity off the face of the earth. It is not the new Black Plague. It is a terrible disease that causes tragic pain to those who have become infected.