Should We Be Concerned?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2710285/Ebola-test-feverish-man-flew-Britain-West-Africa-doctors-red-alert-deadly-virus.html

/// Liberia closed most of its border crossings on Sunday and Nigeria’s airports and borders have been on full alert since Friday. ///

Should we also consider closing our borders, or at least put a halt to the passage of persons from this part of Africa?

We seem more concerned about the spread of rabies in this country, than this disease which kills 90 per cent of victims.

[naomi24]

sp, //no, I do not think we should ignore the Ebola crisis.//

Therefore you are concerned, as I am. For some unknown reason, you seem to have gone rather on the offensive with the rest of your post.

[sp1814]

naomi24

Just because someone is aware of something, and had educated themselves about it, doesn't mean that they are concerned about it.

For instance, I am aware of lots of news stories, but not concerned about them.

I think some news outlets want us to live in a constant state of panic/outrage/fear. I can't live like that...I'd never get any work done.

[naomi24]

Okay, you're not concerned - but you don't think we should ignore it. Sorry, you've lost me.

[sp1814]

naomi24

We should educate ourselves about the virus, by accessing trustworthy news sources.

And we should determine what the threat is, and deal with it rationally.

I think our communication drift here, is because I think of the word 'concerned' as 'worried'.

If that's how you see it, then we are looking it it from two completely different point of views.

However, if 'concerned' doesn't mean 'worried' to you, but instead means, 'pay attention to', then I think we are saying much the same thing.

[jim360]

I think the question is a lot about the level of concern, though. On the one hand AOG is discussing closing our borders, which is surely overdoing it and then some. On the other hand we don't want to ignore the possible risks until it's too late. Somewhere in between is sensible -- probably noting that the threat isn't all that serious, as various earlier posts have pointed out.

We shouldn't be scared of Ebola, at least not in this country, because the threat is realistically rather small. We shouldn't ignore it either. Still, one final point worth making: in countries where healthcare is poor, where attitudes to medicine are at times backward, where doctors can be chased out of town for "locking up" (actually quarantining) patients, and where hygiene practices are awful, there have been 1,200 cases total in a period of five months since February. The amount of concern shown ought to bear that in mind. This is a major outbreak only for a disease that struggles to spread very far.

I'm not sure quite how to quantify my concern, but roughly speaking it would be something like this: on a personal level I'm not concerned at all; for my family and friends the same; for the country I'd be far, far more concerned about other threats; for the world, I know that Ebola has the potential to pose a massive health risk, but not at the moment.

[horseshoes]

I'd much sooner the UK were concerned about it, before the horse bolts and THEN try to shut the stable door.

[sp1814]

Well put jim360

Your login name suits you as you seem adept at looking at the whole picture.

[mushroom25]

when the virus evolves an airborne mutation. that's when we need to be scared.

[sp1814]

Well put jim360

Your login name suits you as you seem adept at looking at the whole picture.

[237SJ]

TBH If I was in the UK the whole time I wouldn`t be that worried. I go to West Africa though so I might have a little wobble if a customer pukes over me or I cut myself etc. At least it`s not airborne - now that would be a worry.

[jim360]

Thanks sp -- although sometimes I think it's because I just go round and round in circles...

[anotheoldgit]

Some apparently are concerned but also unprepared.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/11002301/Border-staff-unprepared-to-spot-Ebola-cases-arriving-in-UK.html

[anotheoldgit]

sp1814

/// Well put jim360 ///

/// Your login name suits you as you seem adept at looking at the whole
picture. /// 19:28 and the same at 19:36.

Why did you repeat yourself, were you afraid jim hadn't noticed your praises?