9/30 UPDATE: A case of ebola has been identified in Texas. The post below was originally about two health workers who contracted ebola and were brought to the United States to be “treated” (to the extent that it is possible to treat a case of ebola). All of the advice still applies.
If you’ve watched the news in the past week or so, you’ve heard about ebola, a cunning virus with a high mortality rate (this outbreak: about 60%) currently rampaging through West Africa.
Now, it’s in America.
You may be wondering what you should do to protect yourself from this deadly, haunting disease:
- Nothing. Stop worrying about ebola in the United States. You cannot protect your family from ebola because it is not at risk from ebola.
- Donate to MSF or another organization working tirelessly to protect and save those actually at risk of contracting ebola, even as they’re attacked and vilified by scared, confused communities
- Get a flu shot and, if you have kids, make sure they have all of their childhood vaccinations