Free Republic

As a rule, one should not panic at whatever crisis has momentarily fixed the attention of cable news producers. But the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, which has migrated to both Europe and America, may be the exception that proves the rule. There are at least six reasons that a controlled, informed panic might be in order. (1) Start with what we know, and don’t know, about the virus. Officials from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and other government agencies claim that contracting Ebola is relatively difficult because the virus is only transmittable by direct contact with bodily fluids...

As the current Ebola outbreak's death toll continues to skyrocket, with almost half of all 2,288 deaths occurring within the last 21 days, the lack of sufficient medical personnel to treat all those affected threatens to spread the disease even further, as even the equipment used to keep safe from Ebola can carry the disease. As Discovery News reports, the HAZMAT suits used by medical personnel to protect themselves while treating Ebola victims can carry the virus; it does not die upon leaving the body and landing on the protective gear. This means that, while doctors and nurses using...