4 Out Of 10 Concerned About An Ebola Outbreak In U.S.

I don't know about other countries, but it seems that Americans love to worry -- even when there's nothing to worry about. The chart above was made from a Harvard University School of Public Health survey (conducted between August 13th and 17th of a random national sample of 1,025 adults, with a margin of error of about 3.6 points). It shows that 39% (nearly 4 out of 10) of the general public in this country believe there will be a large outbreak of the Ebola virus in the next 12 months -- in the United States.

Note that this poll was done over a month ago -- before there was any case of a person having become sick from the Ebola virus in the United States. Now one case has been diagnosed in Dallas (of a man who just arrived from Liberia). I expect that 39% is significantly higher now that a case has been diagnosed here.

Evidently people don't understand much about that virus, because there is very little, if any, chance of an outbreak in the United States. Although Ebola sickness is very dangerous to those who have the virus in their body, the truth is that it is not all that easy to get the virus. You must come into contact with the bodily fluids of a person who is already showing signs of illness to get the virus. That means the person diagnosed in Dallas could not have infected those on the plane with him, or who came into casual contact with him before he was diagnosed.

We also have to remember that in this country we have a very effective public health system. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has been planning for this kind of thing for quite a while -- and they have developed effective measures to identify anyone at risk and quarantine them before they can endanger others.

In short, there is absolutely no reason to worry about an Ebola outbreak in the United States. We may have plenty of things to worry about in this country, but Ebola is not one of them.