Ebola Paranoia is spreading faster than the disease itself. Let’s try to maintain some sense of perspective.
Many Queenslanders have been severely on edge during the past two days, eagerly awaiting the test results of a Cairns nurse who recently returned from West Africa. The nurse, Sue Ellen Kovack, spent the last few months working with Red Cross at an Ebola facility in Sierra Leone and developed a fever within the incubation period of 21 days, sparking major concern across the country that the deadly virus had arrived on our shores and that impeding zombie domination was imminent.
It was the second bout of outraged panic in as many months, however, after a Gold Coast man was tested for Ebola (the tests came back negative). This morning, our fears were put to rest once again when Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young confirmed Ms Kovack’s initial tests were negative, and reiterated that Ebola is not a threat to the broader community of Australia. We can call off the fuel-air bomb for Cedar Creek Cairns, guys!
Today Queensland Health and The Red Cross have reminded us to rest easy. They say the epidemic really poses no threat to you, and that this case, as well as the incident involving the 27-year-old Gold Coast man last month, is proof of just how efficient Australia’s health systems really are.
Unsurprisingly, within hours of the first reports about Kovack’s potential infection, news and social media platforms were flooded with Ebola fear mongering. MP Bob Katter, a bastion of rational thinking, labelled Ebola Aid workers as “selfish”, in spite of their humanitarian efforts, for putting Australia at risk.
It seems every time the threat of Ebola is mentioned in our sunny state, Queenslanders magically morph into Helen Lovejoy, complete with pearl clutching and indignant cries of ‘won’t somebody think of the children?’ spilling from their lips. Panic devours us, with parents insisting on keeping their kids home from school and members of the community confining themselves to their homes.
People were legitimately afraid of contracting Ebola on the streets of Oz, even thousands of kilometres from where Kovacks was being treated in Cairns. This is a virus which is not airborne, unlike other infectious strains such as the common cold or the flu. In fact, Ebola can only be contracted by contact with physical secretions of a victim — i.e. exposure to open wounds, bodily fluids, bites etc.
Ultimately, this major overreaction to Ebola in Australia is fairly laughable. University of Queensland virologist Associate Professor Ian Mackay describes the risk to public health, even if a Queensland patient was actually infected, as “virtually zero”.
Of course, the same cannot be said for the thousands of victims spread mainly throughout North and Western Africa, in particular Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, with the death toll worldwide currently nearing 4,000 (over 8,000 victims have been infected in total). Ebola is definitely a major international concern, no question — but it’s not likely to be contracted in the Queen Street Mall.
For the closest and only exposure to Ebola many Australians will ever face, I recommend living vicariously through some classic medical emergency blockbusters like Outbreak, 28 Days Later and Contagion.
Need I remind you of some of the issues our little slice of paradise currently faces, each of which pose a greater threat to you personally than Ebola?
- The world Kale shortage
- Killer magpies
- High-waisted bikini bottoms and the horrendous tan-lines that ensue
- Life after The Bachelor
- The All Blacks
- The entire “fitspiration” movement
- Catfish (Be afraid)
By all means, Ebola is undoubtedly going to be at the forefront of our minds for a while longer, but we can’t live in fear — and we can’t let those “selfish” volunteers wanting to provide aid to the relief effort be deterred by the events of this week.
Took the words right out of my mouth. This girl knows what’s going on!
What a joke!!!!! I can 100% appreciate that this article is trying to encourage Queenslanders to realise that Ebola is if no real threat to us and that those providing much needed aid are to be commended, not criticised. However, why is it that when reporting on something so serious the ignorant writer can’t even get simple geography write? Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia are not in North Africa. People are dying yet the media desensitises us to the issue thanks to articles like this that try to be witty about an epidemic which isn’t being taken seriously enough because it’s so far away. This article provides some relevant facts but on the whole, I think it’s a waste of space. Hopefully someone decides to write a realistic article outlining the actual devastation that is occurring and with any luck, they will skip the witty BS because while it may pull readers, it probably wouldn’t impress anyone who has put a family members Ebola ridden body in the ground.
Such disappointing coverage on this issue.
Kayla, I appreciate your comment but did you miss the point? This in no way downplays the seriousness of Ebola. The article is clearly pointing out that some Australians are a bit hypochondriac and afraid of something that has not even made it to our shores. Also there are plenty of realistic fear monger articles (probably the reason we have so many hypochondriacs), this is refreshing.
Such a disappointing negative comment.
Kayla,
With the extensive media coverage on this topic, I would have thought that you would be getting your geographical facts and figures from some other outlet than BMag…
Chill out gf, it is just a lighthearted piece of journalism that voices the feelings that many people have on the issue.
a) good on the volunteers
b) take a chill pill Queensland you are not contracting Ebola and
c) where am I going to get my next kale fix from?!?
Love it!! Great to see some lightheartedness rather than doom and gloom.
Kayla, sorry you don’t see it that way!! No one is taking away from the seriousness of the situation and the author is only giving some perspective – which some people seem to have lost or maybe just prefer mass hysteria.
You obviously didn’t read the article that well either as you didn’t notice West Africa referenced twice – “Cairns nurse who recently returned from West Africa” and “North and Western Africa, in particular Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea”.
I’d prefer to see this kind of article in this publication so thank you!!
As I somewhat agree with you Kayla, you need to calm down about Ebola just as we from the nanny state of Queensland should. This is very well written and the geography seems to be spot on!
As the author has empathy and compassion shining throughout, I cant see how one light hearted article amongst the mass of panic is such a crime.
Without doubt we all feel for the families and aid workers facing this epidemic and its devastating effects.
Loved the article. We still have high cases of AIDS and people still aren’t using condoms! Yet they are all rushing out for medical supplies or confining themselves to their homes due to Ebola…..