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Because they don't want to incite unnecessary panic. In China, if you have a cold it's okay to walk around with a mask and gloves on. Here, if people did the same thing, we are going to end up with a Chicken Little, "the sky is falling!" scenario.
You know, not inciting panic is a great concept and all - but not when it takes precedence over actual risk management. It should be way down on the priority list - below, you know, actually preventing the thing that would cause the panic in the first place. Instead, they're focusing ONLY on preventing panic at the expense of taking any action, and doing nothing to mitigate actual risk. Smart.
Location: where you sip the tea of the breasts of the spinsters of Utica
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Quote:
Originally Posted by EvilCookie
So it's only dangerous if it wipes out vast swathes of the population? Only then does it need to be taken seriously??
Even a hundred cases, even ten cases, are too many - because they were unnecessary! The government could've taken steps to prevent the disease being here in the first place - and they did nothing! Nina Pham's parents would not have their daughter in the hospital right now if Liberian visas had been suspended a month ago - think of that! Do you think it makes them feel better that out of all the hospitals and all the millions of nurses in the US, their daughter was the one unlucky enough to catch it. Is her case statistically significant? No. But would that make you feel better if it was YOUR child - if it was an illness that could have easily been prevented, but wasn't??
I'm trying to think of an analogy here. You know those fire-proof doors they have in buildings to shut out fires? This is like leaving them all open in a fire because "our firefighters are so great, they'll put out the fire anyway". Even if the fire is tiny and the firefighters fantastic, wouldn't it STILL make sense to shut the doors, JUST IN CASE?? And if even one firefighter died because the doors weren't locked, wouldn't someone need to be responsible for making that decision that cost his life?
Prevention, instead of tangling up a huge deadly mess to untangle later - why does that not make sense???
Well, let's try another analogy. How about guns? Even one gun death is too many, do you think that a murdered person's parents are comforted by the fact that it's statistically not as likely as some other deaths? The clear and obvious solution is to outlaw all guns! [/sarcasm]
Look,here's the deal,,I'm not fond of blood leaking out of my body,,OK....What I don't get is where is the upside of not shutting down people coming in from these countries..It certainly will lower the chances and that in itself is a selling point that seems rational and logical...not to mention compelling.
as far as I know, there's been the one guy who meekly mentioned closing the borders months ago, and was promptly shut down. Recently there's been another who has asked for visas to be suspended. Haven't heard of any response. It's like the government is playing dumb and pretending not to hear anything on purpose.
I have heard plenty of explanations from the cdc etc as to why that's not a good idea. You just don't want to hear it.
And how simple do you think it is to "close the borders"? What does that even mean? I don't think you have any idea of what you're asking. There has to be a cost/risk analysis that takes into account the ramifications of doing something that drastic. The cons may way overrun the benefits.
They are likely looking at all sorts of things that have never even crossed your mind. Things that may have way worse effects on the country as a whole than a small outbreak even.
Do you really think the virus is the only thing to consider here? It's not, for goodness' sake use your head.
Human safety testing of vaccines has already begun:
I'll admit that that is an impressive body of links you've put together for my edification. I am still not impressed. None of this stuff is ready to go. It is a term paper handed in two hours past the deadline with the ink still wet and half of the information is copied verbatim from Wikipedia. Africa does not have months for the first batches of vaccine to be commercially available.
When did we decide that it made more sense to spend billions to vaccinate healthy people against a disease that they might never ever get than to CURE someone who is going to DIE unless they are CURED. Pronto!... ... Introducing "Ebotame", the amazing new drug that keeps your Ebola symptoms under control so you can do important things like earn a living.
Even in the face of one of the biggest health crisies in recent memory no one seems to be able to think outside of the box and thus the status quo of hospitalization and Big Pharma preparations is still being called in to face down Ebola. Ain't workin', we are losing West Africa. Is anyone else facing that grim fact or am I the only one who doesn't think medicine and/or the personnel to administer it will arrive in time to keep this from going on record as one of the worst epidemics in recent history.
Well, let's try another analogy. How about guns? Even one gun death is too many, do you think that a murdered person's parents are comforted by the fact that it's statistically not as likely as some other deaths? The clear and obvious solution is to outlaw all guns! [/sarcasm]
Very bad analogy, because, the clear and obvious solution is exactly to outlaw all guns! Don't get me started. Just don't.
, we are going to end up with a Chicken Little, "the sky is falling!" scenario.
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I'd say with 3000+ responses we are already there as this topic well demonstrates the panic and hysteria here in the USA where to date only one person has contracted the virus, in the meantime other maladies are actually killing Americans at a high rate and those maladies dont seem to be news worthy.
If people want something to worry about?
100 people will die today in traffic accidents http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...n_U.S._by_year
300 people will be shot today.(not necessarily killed) Do 100,000 people get shot every year in U.S.? Facebook post says yes | PolitiFact
I still don't think that there will be more than a few clusters of ebola cases in the US, but I think there will be financial repercussions from most people freaking out and stampeding to the ERs whenever they develop a fever and diarrhea or other flu symptoms. Many hospitals may not be able to afford to keep an ER going since uninsured people can get away with not paying for it. The strain on Medicaid for states will be significant too, I suppose, though I don't know much about that.
Dead right about the financial repercussions. Dallas hospital had to close down one wing of the hospital for that one patient that I'm sure didn't have insurance. There was a case in a hospital about 50 miles from where I live that was isolated for Ebola that tested negative. There was another one last week in another hospital. I hope you're right about the "few clusters" of Ebola cases, but considering what the CDC has just announced about "rethinking how we treat Ebola" my confidence level has just declined. That and there was a highly trained RN that became infected. Given the idiot factor I've seen in my 25 years in health care and the idiot factor involved in letting a sick Ebola patient leave the hospital the first time because of lack of communication leaves me less then confident. Time will tell but we are close to the tipping point. I think I'll be heading some where rural to wait it out for a few years in the near future Probably not but I'm definitely retiring if Ebola is in our hospitals.
And where are our congressmen/women? Why aren't they calling for 0's head on a platter? Why aren't they demanding legislation to close our borders?
Because they are the one's telling him to keep the borders open! You hate him so much you think that this is all his idea. Get real. There has never been a more down to earth, survival oriented person in the WH than Obama. Its you people with the shades of gray cost/benefit flowcharts yada yada that hold his feet to the fire and compel him to go against his gut instincts. So you don't have to wonder where your Congressmen are. But... there are hundreds of Congress. They don't all think the borders should remain wide open. And they would mostly be Democrat. Puff on that for awhile and get back to me. Or don't. But don't remain misguided. It isn't O's fault. Not in the slightest.
H
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Probably not but I'm definitely retiring if Ebola is in our hospitals.
