Wednesday, October 29, 2014

It’s Not About Ebola Anymore

Ebola Fallout


It’s not about Ebola anymore it’s about the fallout, the impact, if you will that it is having on communities and on the country as a whole.


A nurse that has had contact with Ebola patients in West Africa is threatening to sue the government because she was quarantined as she arrived back in the United States. This is inhumane treatment according to her and her lawyer, and yet the alternative is to allow her to decide on her own whether she is a risk or not. Unfortunately, the medical profession has not shown when it comes to Ebola that they really know what is going on, they simply do not instill confidence in the American citizens.


Doctors and nurses knowing they have been exposed to Ebola seem to find it acceptable to roam the streets or fly the skies until they become symptomatic, so what happens if they get a fever while riding the subway or on an aircraft.


Yes, they are self-monitoring while riding the subway or wherever they are, but what does this mean for the people in the subway with him or her as the case may be, people will be alarmed and rightly so. The doctor knows others around them will not likely contract the disease but the common person does not know this for sure, because of all of the mixed messages out there.


Aside from all this is the cost of contact tracing and quarantining of people. The cost could be eliminated if people that know they have been in contact with Ebola patients in West Africa would simply do the right thing and self-quarantine for the 21 days.


Self-monitoring means different things to different people, so obviously there needs to be a standard, because one could say they were monitoring themselves while out bowling, for example.


Doctors and nurses have to realize that most of the people they meet in public do not have the training and knowledge of a medical professional, so they have to respect that people have a real fear of this relatively unknown disease.


It is not enough to say, “Hey I’m a doctor or nurse and I know what is best”, that simply does not wash, because doctors and nurses are the ones becoming infected. How doctors and nurses are acting does not instill any confidence in those not in the medical profession.


Then there are governors enacting rules and laws that are counter to the federal government, laws that make sense by the way, and then survivors of the only person to die on America soil from Ebola are claiming his care was sub-standard and so lawyers are already in the wings calculating damages. This is just a small sample of the impact Ebola is having on the country. You will not get Ebola but you will be effected by it.


The fear is visceral, and people will react to this fear. There is no one applying logic and reasoning, and now the CDC has once again changed the rules, which makes it even more confusing, stoking even more fears. It seems those in charge are working it out as they go along, reacting only as things happen and not getting ahead of any of it.


Bottom-line, you as a Prepper are once again forced to work things out on your own, you must apply logic and reasoning and more importantly know the facts before making decisions.


Stay Calm and Prep On


1.) Do not worry about contracting Ebola but you do need to worry about schools in your community shutting down. You have to be prepared for this, because it has happened and it will happen again, next time in your community possibly. You will need a backup plan if the school calls and tells you that the school is closed for 21 days or even for just a week for decontamination.


2.) Worry about public transportation, and try to find alternatives, it will be difficult in some cases, but you really do have to limit your exposure to large crowds, where you are packed in like sardines. You should avoid crowds for a variety of reasons not just because of Ebola however.


3.) Worry about home confinement (quarantine), because as you can see, it can happen to anyone, so you have to be prepared to sustain yourself for at least 21 days, and the time in confinement may increase, so keep this in mind as well, and be prepared to increase your stockpile. This means you have to have plans in place to resupply while in confinement, a trusted friend or relative could leave supplies at your door, but you need plans in place before something happens.


4.) You have to consider what happens if you are away from home and it is suspected you have had some type of contact with someone suspected of having Ebola. This means you may be quarantined away from home. Do you have the means to do so?


It is assumed the authorities would handle the logistics, lodging, food and so on, but you cannot really count on anything. Think about what if, who you can call to take care of your animals and plants if you happen to live alone? There are the things you need to think about and plan for now.


5.) What happens if your boss calls and says do not bother coming into work for the next three weeks, because the plant or office has to shut down because of suspected contamination. Keep in mind businesses will err on the side of caution and some will overact by shutting down for some period.


It Is No Longer Theoretical It Is Possible and Even Likely


Someone looks ill or is ill on a subway, commuter train, airplane or bus. The pilot, driver or operator calls ahead, the sick individual is pulled off by people in full body suits. Your name is taken and address given and then all contacts in your phone are taken down by someone talking through a respirator.


Everyone is herded off the public transportation, and separated. Test will be run but until the authorities know why the person became ill you are in a holding pattern, and if the tests come back positive, you are quarantined, and you could be hundreds of miles from home. You will not get sick but you are caught up in it regardless.


If you live in a large city and rely on public transportation, you will be inconvenienced at some point soon because of the fear of Ebola. You have to be prepared for this, because it will happen to some of you, if it has not already.


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