Why the Ebola Scare Hasn't Really Taken Off Yet
The current Ebola scare hasn't really taken off yet. It probably will when flu season goes into full swing. As people experience symptoms, some will believe those symptoms might signal the early stages of Ebola. That will most certainly be the case if the number of cases here in the U.S. increases, as we have every reason to believe it will.
As for why people don't seem that concerned so far, I wonder if it's partly ignorance, partly not wanting to face the truth. How much do you really know about Ebola? And if you did know a bit about it, do you really want to contemplate what might happen to you, your loved ones, your friends and neighbors, it this disease got serious traction in this country? If you work in a hospital or if some family member or members do, they've probably been forced to consider this. Or maybe just picture your kids at a school where it's determined that a student or teacher contracted Ebola. What would you do? Or think about your workplace if someone's out sick and you find out they got the virus - someone you'd been in contact with, for example. Or even if you weren't in contact, how do you know whether you might have been in contact with someone else who'd been in contact with them? Starting to see whey people don't really want to think about this?
But getting back to the idea that it's partly ignorance, partly not wanting to face the truth, here's a scary thought: Think about people you know, or have run into, or know of, who might fit the bill of being ignorant and who don't face the truth. I'll be you can come up with some pretty big numbers, simply based on our current educational system which seems to produce millions of uneducated, basically ignorant folks who simply can't think for themselves. And the reluctance to face the truth, always a fault buried in our human nature as we face unpleasant, tragic or dangerous situations in our lives, is surely exacerbated by the plethora of mindless activities and entertainment that so many of us indulge in these days.
So with millions of ignorant folks, not facing the truth, as a part of their daily interactions with the world, is it any wonder the concern for Ebola has been muted? My guess is it will remain relatively muted and then switch into full blown panic in a heartbeat, once the victims start piling up. The guy in Dallas who just died on Wednesday may just the beginning of a difficult time for all of us. Let's hope and pray this thing is nipped in the bud. It's still possible it may be. But if it's not, look out for what may happen in the coming weeks and months.
As for why people don't seem that concerned so far, I wonder if it's partly ignorance, partly not wanting to face the truth. How much do you really know about Ebola? And if you did know a bit about it, do you really want to contemplate what might happen to you, your loved ones, your friends and neighbors, it this disease got serious traction in this country? If you work in a hospital or if some family member or members do, they've probably been forced to consider this. Or maybe just picture your kids at a school where it's determined that a student or teacher contracted Ebola. What would you do? Or think about your workplace if someone's out sick and you find out they got the virus - someone you'd been in contact with, for example. Or even if you weren't in contact, how do you know whether you might have been in contact with someone else who'd been in contact with them? Starting to see whey people don't really want to think about this?
But getting back to the idea that it's partly ignorance, partly not wanting to face the truth, here's a scary thought: Think about people you know, or have run into, or know of, who might fit the bill of being ignorant and who don't face the truth. I'll be you can come up with some pretty big numbers, simply based on our current educational system which seems to produce millions of uneducated, basically ignorant folks who simply can't think for themselves. And the reluctance to face the truth, always a fault buried in our human nature as we face unpleasant, tragic or dangerous situations in our lives, is surely exacerbated by the plethora of mindless activities and entertainment that so many of us indulge in these days.
So with millions of ignorant folks, not facing the truth, as a part of their daily interactions with the world, is it any wonder the concern for Ebola has been muted? My guess is it will remain relatively muted and then switch into full blown panic in a heartbeat, once the victims start piling up. The guy in Dallas who just died on Wednesday may just the beginning of a difficult time for all of us. Let's hope and pray this thing is nipped in the bud. It's still possible it may be. But if it's not, look out for what may happen in the coming weeks and months.
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