According to the Center for Disease Control, there have been four laboratory-confirmed cases of Ebola in the U.S., one of which resulted in death. Symptoms include fever, bruising and bleeding from the eyes and other orifices.
The disease process takes up to 21 days, in which transmission occurs only in the later stages of infection when hemorrhaging and vomiting occur.
“In California, we have identified specific hospitals that would take these patients—for example—UCLA or UC Irvine,” Garfield Medical Center Director of Infection Prevention Ms. Alicia Telles said. “Here, we are equipped to receive a patient, but we don’t have the capacity to keep a patient long-term.”
Though no FDA-approved vaccine or medicine is available for Ebola, people who have been tested positive for infection and received early treatment have recovered.
“I am scared of Ebola, actually,” Junior Allison Ige said. “It is true that it won’t spread quite like it does in Africa. A lot of people say that you shouldn’t be scared of the disease, but the danger is still very real, even in a country like this where we’re modernized.”
Currently, cases of infection in the U.S. have only occurred in people who recently traveled from West Africa, or healthcare professionals who have come in contact with these patients.
“I don’t think there’s really much of a worry at this point,” Biology teacher Ms. Vy Tague said. “Ebola spreads very slowly, just because you have to go through bodily fluids and physical contact with the infected person in order to get the disease. And then even at that point; it has to get into your system in order to get you sick.”
On Oct. 22, the White House released a fact sheet detailing the government’s response to the outbreak, including new screening measures and travel restrictions at airports.
“I think the outbreak is being sensationalized, and that’s making it a bigger problem than it really is,” AP Government teacher Mr. Shore said. “Considering we have only three people infected, versus thousands in West Africa, we shouldn’t be that concerned about it.”
For more information on the Ebola virus, visit: http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/index.html.