The Ebola Panic

One person from West Africa has died in the United States from Ebola. Two nurses who treated him became infected, both of whom seem likely to survive. (One is reported to have recovered already.) The TV news, the newspapers, and other media are full of Ebola stories. It is too early to determine if it has already been eliminated, but even if that is not the case, the impact of this disease in the United States will be minimal. We seem powerless to enact sensible gun laws, and hundreds of our citizens are killed by gunfire every year. Despite excellent roads, proactive enforcement of traffic laws, and all of our efforts to avoid casualties, hundreds of our citizens die every year from road accidents. Despite these human tragedies, the public has plaid a much greater attention on Ebola these past few weeks. Perhaps it is understandable our fears of, all of an unfamiliar disease receives such prominence, but I look forward to the time when its impact here is forgotten.