The World This Week: Ebola

There's only one international issue in the headlines this week, but it seems everybody's talking about it. The recent outbreak of a strain of the Ebola virus spread to America through a Liberian national named Thomas Duncan, who passed away Wednesday morning. Duncan's case brought up a firestorm of controversy here in the states, primarily due to the way it was handled. Half the country, it seems, believes that more should have been done to help Duncan. The other half is appalled by the fact that he made it to American soil. In the past few days, President Obama and the US government have enforced screenings for signs of the virus, including such symptoms as fever, on all flights bound for America from the nations where the disease has taken hold. Some feel that this action is ultimately unnecessary, as victims of the virus can carry the disease in their system for several weeks before the disease begins to manifest itself. Others are shocked that such action wasn't taken sooner, citing Duncan as a prime example. And there are those that believe all US flights to and from the afflicted countries should be suspended until the epidemic runs its course. Many of Duncan's family members have been put into a form of house arrest, isolated from the general public until it can be said with certainty that they aren't carrying the disease. Some Americans feel that these actions are incredibly damaging to the people they impact. Others feel that the measures taken are necessary, though some of these individuals are angry that such measures had to be taken in the first place. Personally, I'm not sure where I stand on this issue. I don't want Ebola to get into the country again, but what can we do to stop it? I think Obama has the right idea here: we should be both reasonable and cautious. If someone shows symptoms, they should not be allowed entry into the US. If someone who's been exposed to someone who may have been in contact with the virus develops symptoms, they should be hospitalized immediately. We need to keep our eyes open and use common sense to deal with this problem. That's my opinion, and I'm sticking with it.