Image via Daily Caller
We now return you to "America Freaks Out Over Ebola," already in progress.
The Daily Caller's Alex Pappas reports a female airline traveler decided to show up at Dulles International Airport on Wednesday in a full hazmat ensemble. We have to wonder if it comes in fall colors.
Here is a video report:
Pappas reminds that Thomas Eric Duncan had a layover at the Washington D.C.-area airport last month prior to becoming the first person diagnosed with the Ebola virus stateside.
Before that moment, some would argue, the Ebola outbreak was a peripheral story that demanded a modicum of interest, which was truly a shame. However, the country has gone completely the other way as Ebola hits home and garners an overabundance of media coverage. Turn on the television at any point of the day and you can find talking heads dishing on the horrible disease.
So it makes sense that people would go above and beyond to maintain their own safety. OK, way beyond for their safety.
Some are arguing for a travel ban to and from all west African countries, despite experts like CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta stating, "If you ban airline flights, they're gonna start leaving by land, they may be more difficult to contact, they may be more difficult to treat."
This might be the best moment to remind you how one acquires the devastating virus, via NPR: "Health experts repeatedly emphasize that human-to-human transmission requires direct contact with infected bodily fluids, including blood, vomit and feces."
TravelPulse's own Tim Wood puts it nicely: "Because ultimately, the media is fueling a hysteria right now. Sadly, this story is good for ratings and page views. So the more headlines, the better. It's just another form of irresponsible behavior."
This is not, however, to say the outbreak in west Africa, later spilling to the U.S., should be met with nonchalance, because it's an extremely important issue and a disease that has killed thousands. But good sense and a measured response can only help matters.
If you are wondering, "measured response" doesn't come dressed in a hazmat suit, if only for the fact those suits are a chore to find shoes that match.
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