Roy Exum
Back in the 15th century, some 200 years after the Black Plague became one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, an essayist named Michel de Montaigne famously wrote, “He who fears he shall suffer, already suffers what he fears.”
So let’s get this out of the way early. Rudyard Kipling taught us “Of all the liars in the world, sometimes the worst are our own fears” and then Ralph Waldo Emerson explained, “Fear always springs from ignorance.”
In short, no matter how hard a sensation-driven media may try to scare you, nobody around here will be getting the Ebola virus. The reason I can make that claim is because the United States has made sure you haven’t gotten some real bad diseases in the past like SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome), the Avian flu, and N1H1 (swine flu).
On the global scale malaria is a far-worse killer than Ebola and it is carried by mosquitoes. Everybody in America gets bitten by mosquitoes. Nobody in America gets malaria. Why? We have the greatest health system in the world and our preventive measures are beyond compare on every level.
Last week a friend sent me an email that wondered what our Erlanger Hospital would do if we had an Ebola outbreak. I sent it to a collection of the best doctors at Erlanger and, within 24 hours, I was completely satisfied it would be handled in a logical and professional manner that – get this – leaves no room for fear at any level.
Unfortunately, I have a history of bad infections. I’ve had the viral, fungal, and bacterial kinds a lot of times. I’ve had staphylococcus, streptococcus, c. diff, e-coli, MRSA, and several others. Sometimes I get them at the same time, thanks to the osteomyelitis I will carry around until the day I croak, but as evil as they can be, Dr. Jay Sizemore and the folks at Erlanger handle me just fine. As a result I’m not scared of my osteomyelitis at all and I walk around with it every day.
Dr. Sizemore, who gave up what would have been a Jeter-like baseball career to star in Infectious Diseases, sent me an email that explained new hospital protocols – they constantly update them -- and common sense together can and will work against contagious disease. For example, all of us need to simply wash our hands with soap and warm water around a sick person – and avoid bodily fluids – the odds are overwhelming none of us will ever catch what the patient’s got.
A huge reason Ebola has rocked African nations is a lack of soap and hot water. Just think about that. And if we would better educate our kids about washing their hands with soap, they wouldn’t bring home running noses and stomach aches. Most fast-food restaurants wipe the tables dozens of times every day but if somebody sneezes at Table Three and the same wipe is used at Table Four – presto – the sneeze has been spread. The moral? Don’t put your food directly on the table and wash your hands before you leave.
Erlanger is not taking the Ebola threat lightly. No one is. But our team at the region’s Level 1 trauma center is well-prepared. They have made plans, already had drills, are continually meeting to assure emergency measures and – believe me on this – are quite well-equipped to handle any medical situation. This isn’t a paid-for ad; it is the unmitigated truth.
America has the greatest health care organization in the world. From public health sectors to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, the safety net that has protected us famously from any pandemics up until now is stronger than it has ever been in history. That said, the mainstay for disease prevention is simply washing your hands before – and after – every time you visit someone who is sick or visit the hospital.
The CDC has a fabulous website on the Ebola virus disease. It has been devastating in Africa but can you name one person in America who has died from it?
According to the CDC website, the only way you can get the virus is by direct contact. Ebola is spread through broken skin or mucous membranes in, for example, the eyes, nose, or mouth with:
* -- blood or body fluids (including but not limited to urine, saliva, sweat, feces, vomit, breast milk, and semen) of a person who is sick with Ebola
* -- objects (like needles and syringes) that have been contaminated with the virus
* -- infected animals
The website also explains, “Ebola is not spread through the air or by water, or in general, by food. However, in Africa, Ebola may be spread as a result of handling bushmeat (wild animals hunted for food) and contact with infected bats. There is no evidence that mosquitoes or other insects can transmit Ebola virus. Only mammals (for example, humans, bats, monkeys, and apes) have shown the ability to become infected with and spread Ebola virus.”
Doe Zantamata, an author in Florida, pegged it right. “It is hard sometimes not to be afraid. But it is much harder to live in fear. Faith means to believe in something that is true, sometimes without any proof at all. Have faith and the proof will follow.”
You ain’t gotta’ worry about getting Ebola.
royexum@aol.com