Ebola In The News

Ebola has been on the news a lot this year. It's been on the newspapers, television news networks, radio as well as on the internet. Many people know about Ebola as the disease that is caused by the Ebola virus and its symptoms are fever, sore throat, muscle pain, and headaches. Typically, vomiting, diarrhoea, and rash follow, along with decreased function of the liver and kidneys. Around this time, affected people may begin to bleed both within the body and externally. Sad to say the disease has spread all over the world and many more people are susceptible to the disease. I really dislike the disease and I hope to God that it stops spreading. My problem with the disease is how it is reported.

 
My biggest problem is the number of people who have succumb to the disease and have died is highly misreported. I also understand that the authorities involved don't want to start a mass panic but shouldn't people know how many guys are sick in order to prevent the spread. They say the people who have died in West Africa is about 2000 and the real figures could 10,000 or 20,000, am just saying I don't have the facts. If the airlines and any other companies that travel in and out of the country had this information they would change their policies about visiting that place. I am not saying that they should stop going there but they should improve screening of individuals. The misrepresented number, I believe doesn't give stake holders enough information for making the right decisions.

 
Another issue I have on how the virus is talked about in the news was how the virus is spread. I remember a couple of years ago when it was first discovered in Congo and Uganda they said the virus was so deadly that it is spread by touch and through the air, airborne. Now they are saying that it is not by just by touch, but through exchange of body fluids and they have definitely ruled out it being air borne. Aren't those two issues conflicting if we are talking about the same disease?

 
When the virus became well known this year, it was described as an "African problem" in the news. The truth is that the disease is more prevalent in Africa but it isn't an African problem because it can spread to anywhere in the world. It should have been described as a worldwide problem and people should have been made aware of the risks of the disease.

 
I think the news should be more responsible in their reporting. My thoughts and prayers goes out to all who have fallen victim to the disease and to the family members who have also suffered a loss.