Should the US impose a travel ban to and from Ebola-stricken nations of West Africa?

[aristotle]

Would it be good public policy for our government to impose a temporary travel ban to and from Western African nations, such as Liberia, where the Ebola virus is rampant?

Is our federal government overstating the ability of the US healthcare system to deal immediately and effectively with Ebola?

Is political correctness influencing public health decisions in the US?

 

[LDB]

Re: Should the US impose a travel ban to and from Ebola-stricken nations of West Afri

Yes on the from side, no if anything they are overstating their abilities, and yes.

 

[layoutshooter]

Re: Should the US impose a travel ban to and from Ebola-stricken nations of West Afri

Impossible task UNLESS you cut out ALL air traffic into the United States.

 

[aristotle]

Re: Should the US impose a travel ban to and from Ebola-stricken nations of West Afri

Look at how much disruption and anxiety has been caused in the United States by just one Ebola death, the late Mr. Duncan, who flew into the US by way of Brussels. Imagine the chaos, fear and turmoil if we suddenly lose 10 people to Ebola.

A temporary ban on nonessential travel to and from Ebola hot zones could be instrumental in containing the virus to the area of origin. Such a ban is not a cure-all, but just one precaution which could be put in place immediately. The US is going to pour resources into West Africa in an attempt to stem the spread of this lethal virus. Let's hope no more outbreaks such as the one in West Africa take place. Especially, south of our border. Early diagnosis and early medical intervention seem to be working for the two Ebola-stricken American nurses.

 

[layoutshooter]

Re: Should the US impose a travel ban to and from Ebola-stricken nations of West Afri

First off, you have to ban flights from ANYWHERE that someone that left a "hot zone" could fly in from. Like Europe, or anywhere else.

Second, we have NO business sending the US Military there. It is in NO WAY their job. They are not trained for that. We also know that, when some of them contract the disease, we won't take care of them. We will just be sending more brave men and women, into harms way, and then turning our backs on them when they get injured or sick.

IF we MUST borrow money from China, to fight a disease in Africa, we should at least use it right, by sending in ONLY people who are TRAINED FOR THAT JOB!

Send in trained Peace Corps members or similar people. This is, again, NOT the function of the US military.

 

[RLENT]

Re: Should the US impose a travel ban to and from Ebola-stricken nations of West Afri

Would it be good public policy for our government to impose a temporary travel ban to and from Western African nations, such as Liberia, where the Ebola virus is rampant?

From yes ... to no ...

Dealing with this bug (preferably over there) is going to require resources and boots on the ground, be they civilian or military.

Is our federal government overstating the ability of the US healthcare system to deal immediately and effectively with Ebola?

Depends on who from the federal government is speaking.

Is political correctness influencing public health decisions in the US?

... seriously ?

 

[RLENT]

Re: Should the US impose a travel ban to and from Ebola-stricken nations of West Afri

Impossible task UNLESS you cut out ALL air traffic into the United States.

Likely true ...

 

[RLENT]

Re: Should the US impose a travel ban to and from Ebola-stricken nations of West Afri

Second, we have NO business sending the US Military there. It is in NO WAY their job.

Bzzzzt ... wrong answer.

It's a national security threat - from a variety of perspectives.

They are not trained for that.

Bzzzzt ... wrong again:

United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

USAMRID's Current Mission Statement:

"To protect the Warfighter from biological threats and to be prepared to investigate disease outbreaks or threats to public health."

United States Army Medical Research and Materiel Command - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Wanna try for three ?

We also know that, when some of them contract the disease, we won't take care of them. We will just be sending more brave men and women, into harms way, and then turning our backs on them when they get injured or sick.

IF we MUST borrow money from China, to fight a disease in Africa, we should at least use it right, by sending in ONLY people who are TRAINED FOR THAT JOB!

Send in trained Peace Corps members or similar people. This is, again, NOT the function of the US military.

Congrats ... a complete strikeout ...

 

[davekc]

Re: Should the US impose a travel ban to and from Ebola-stricken nations of West Afri

I would think the military is more prepared than most with infectious and or chemical responses.
That aside, we are still only talking a handful of cases here in the US. A full travel band would slow it, but not likely prevent it. The other option is to let them in and quarantine them like Ellis Island.
The latest is to quarantine them there and block people based on countries on their passport.
Again, it would slow it down, but some will still want to lie and sneak in.
The bigger problem is people in South America or Mexico contracting it and migrating up here for care. Not a lot of resources down there for this kind of thing.

 

[layoutshooter]

Re: Should the US impose a travel ban to and from Ebola-stricken nations of West Afri

The job of the Unites States Military is to break things and kill people in defense of the Constitution of the United States. Ebola is a virus. Send doctors, nurses, HAZMAT crews.

We don't need to send troops in so we can not care for them when they become sick, get injured, or attacked, while fighting a virus which is in NO WAY their mission or anything that they have been trained to do.

Instead of us doing it, have China do it, that way WE won't have to pay China back.

 

[davekc]

Re: Should the US impose a travel ban to and from Ebola-stricken nations of West Afri

Yeah, China will step up to the plate.

 

[asjssl]

Re: Should the US impose a travel ban to and from Ebola-stricken nations of West Afri

...............

 

[skyraider]

Re: Should the US impose a travel ban to and from Ebola-stricken nations of West Afri

15 Most Common Causes of Death in the United States - HowStuffWorks We are ok, this list proves we will not die from Ebola---you do know that they, whom ever they is /are would never lie to us....................

 

[cheri1122]

Re: Should the US impose a travel ban to and from Ebola-stricken nations of West Afri

Given the lag in symptoms, I can't see a travel ban doing much good, if any. That's assuming the evasion of it by rerouting could be caught by Customs, but that's not a given by a long shot. Mostly, a travel ban would provide a false sense of security, I think.
The reason for all the anxiety and upset over Mr Duncan is because of the failure of the Texas hospital and the CDC to respond appropriately to a situation they should have been prepared for. They [and we] learned from that, and luckily, it wasn't a lot worse than one patient death. That was bad enough - the two caregivers getting it was a real wake up call.
Ebola just demonstrated how much our faith in the ability of hospitals to deal with the unanticipated might be misplaced. It was the same after Katrina, except it didn't get so much publicity: hospital admin being unprepared, leaving the staff to 'make do', and then hanging them out to dry in the aftermath.
Maybe Ebola will force them to do a better job. Because this one could kill them, too.

 

[xmudman]

Re: Should the US impose a travel ban to and from Ebola-stricken nations of West Afri

This makes me smack my head:

Fact 1: Mr. Duncan is the only ebola death in the USA as of this post.
Fact 2: Mr. Duncan was black.

Wild leap of logic: racism.

Never mind that Mr. D was a Liberian national and had been there within a few weeks of his death.

Crazy conclusion: Ebola is a racist plot

 

[davekc]

Re: Should the US impose a travel ban to and from Ebola-stricken nations of West Afri

This makes me smack my head:

Fact 1: Mr. Duncan is the only ebola death in the USA as of this post.
Fact 2: Mr. Duncan was black.

Wild leap of logic: racism.

Never mind that Mr. D was a Liberian national and had been there within a few weeks of his death.

Crazy conclusion: Ebola is a racist plot

Yep. MSNBC is already pulling the race card. Sadly, Mr. Duncan lied to get here and paid with his life for that mistake.

 

[Turtle]

Re: Should the US impose a travel ban to and from Ebola-stricken nations of West Afri

It amazes me that none of the people in these hospitals have seen the movie "Outbreak" or read the nonfiction book "The Hot Zone" on which it was based.

 

[aristotle]

Re: Should the US impose a travel ban to and from Ebola-stricken nations of West Afri

What makes Ebola so frightening to the Western world? That it is exotic? That Ebola has the capacity to spread exponentially? The 50-70% mortality rate? That Ebola has the ability to overwhelm a nation's healthcare infrastructure? That caregivers are placed at enormous risk? That the onset of symptoms are nonspecific and are easily mistaken for some other malady?

One might surmise there will be a considerable uptick in the sale of bleach products.

 

[Turtle]

Re: Should the US impose a travel ban to and from Ebola-stricken nations of West Afri

Ebola is frightening to everybody, not just the western world. The mortality rate averages 50%, but has ranged from 25% to more than 90% in past outbreaks. It's frightening because, like all other hemorrhagic illnesses, it's severe and is a horrible way to be sick and die. All BSL-4 (Bio Safety Level - 4) agents have the same inherent fear, because there is no know cure for them. Aggressive treatment of early symptoms, especially that of dehydration, increases the chances of survival and of reduced long term effects. It's also frightening because your own survival instincts tell you that instead of standing there and watching someone who has it, you should be running as fast and as far away from it as you can.

Influenza certainly kills more people, millions, but the mortality rate is generally around .1%. The worst flu outbreak was the 1918 Spanish flu outbreak where 50% of the world was infected and the mortality rate was 20%.

 

[letsdrive]

Re: Should the US impose a travel ban to and from Ebola-stricken nations of West Afri

It amazes me that none of the people in these hospitals have seen the movie "Outbreak" or read the nonfiction book "The Hot Zone" on which it was based.

If I recall in the movie "outbreak" the government fire bombed a entire village to stop the spread. That would be something the military is trained to do. Drop bombs that is.