Panelists answered the following: Are you concerned about your own health with the Ebola virus’ presence in the U.S.?
Nants Foley: “At this point in time I have no concerns.”
Bill Mifsud: “No but I am not sure. The checks and balance system has failed, which has me worried who is watching who is coming and going from the Unites states to the affected regions in Africa and back. We need to do a better job on keeping the disease in check.”
Cesar Flores: “Yes! Everyone should be concerned with Public Health. Our infrastructure is a lot better than the third-world countries and I believe that we have the resources to contain a complete outbreak. However, we should all be aware of what is happening around the world and not limit ourselves to our small community.”
Marty Richman: “No, based on my lifestyle the chance of exposure to Ebola is very small. However, modern travel and social arrangements make any virus a potential threat especially to mobile, large, or dense, populations or gatherings. The so-called ‘Spanish Lady’, the 1918 flu pandemic, killed perhaps 100 million people, no one knows for certain. Even small outbreaks of easily transmitted viruses or bacteria-based diseases need to be taken very seriously.”
Ruth Erickson: “As with any very serious virus, I would be more worried about our health care institutions knowing how to deal with outbreaks and having sufficient quarantine or isolation areas immediately available. There needs to be better communications between health care professionals and teams trained to deal with life-threatening diseases and viruses. The U.S. should suspend flights going to or coming from affected countries (just as other countries have done) for now. We should also be more thorough in checking passports for people who have been to or are returning from an affected country.”
Richard Place: “I’m 74 years old and I spend every day concerned with my health. Get up, take pills, eat breakfast, take pills, eat lunch, go to gym, eat dinner, take pills, go to bed and sleep between going to the bathroom.”
Mary Zanger: “No because the Ebola virus is difficult to transmit. It is not at all like a cold or even tuberculosis, which spreads with a sneeze or a cough in a face. Transmission is by person-to-person body fluids. An epidemic in this country would be highly unlikely because there is adequate staff that can gown, mask and glove to prevent spreading with contaminated specimens. We have adequate medical supplies such as IV fluids, nutrition and supportive care. The downside is that our health care system is much too expensive. If we had ‘Healthcare For All’ the sick would seek care promptly and not infect others. Healthcare for everyone makes epidemics less likely and less expensive because insurance companies would no longer be the middlemen.”
