Ebola Virus Pandemic?

To claim that the recent outbreak of ebola will become a pandemic would be an exaggeration at this point. "Pandemic" would describe a disease prevalent in an entire country or even the whole world. And yet it wasn't so long ago that the first incidents of ebola infecting a few Americans were dismissed by American health official as no big deal. After all, the U.S. health care system can't be compared in scope and effectiveness to what's available in Africa, where the virus originated. First reports said we here in the U.S. had nothing to worry about.

Then more reports of possible infection here in the States began to emerge. Surprised? You shouldn't be. That initial response by official sources was typically understated: "Don't worry." Learn a lesson. When you hear that kind of initial response, you should, at the very least, perk up and pay close attention to what 's really going on. Officials don't always tell the whole truth in these sorts of situations. They minimize because they don't want to cause panic.

So while we're still not (apparently) in "pandemic" territory, the comments aren't so sanguine as they once were:

“The possible consequences of further international spread are particularly serious in view of the virulence of the virus,” the WHO said today in a statement. “A coordinated international response is deemed essential to stop and reverse the international spread of Ebola.”

We simply don't know how serious this situation really is or might become. To dismiss it would be as foolish as running to the hills and hiding in a cave. But at least learn to take the words of "officials" with a grain of salt. Learn to discern for yourself. Use your reason and common sense here. As the facts become known, apply that reason and commons sense. Don't just take an official's word at face value.