Ebola, Fact Vs Fiction

This blog entry is in no way meant to trivialize the epidemic that is currently troubling West Africa.  My prayers go out to the families of all those effected, and to those being treated at the CDC today.  This is simply a discussion of something I've been seeing in social media over the past week. 


I have long been a fan of the work of Author J.L. Bourne.  The first novel of his I read, Day By Day Armageddon, outlines the following scenario.  There is an outbreak in China.  The United States sends doctors and aid workers to China to assist.  The outbreak gets out of control.  We recall our doctors and aid workers, and a few people affected, to the CDC in Atlanta.  The outbreak escapes the CDC and overruns the country.  Of course this is a work of zombie fiction, a very good one I might add if you decide to pick it up one day. 


A series almost all of you will at least be familiar with, The Walking Dead, is initially set around Atlanta.  Season one concludes with the cast escaping the center for disease control. 


So it's no surprise that with the events unfolding in West Africa, and with patients being brought back from Africa for treatment at the CDC this week, people have been posting a lot of stuff on social media.  Lovers of fiction seem to feel the need to draw parallels between what's going on in current events and what's happened in the stories they all know and love.


Lets face it, there is a reason this scenario pops up so much in popular fiction.  Epidemics are scary.  In recent years the threat of lethal flu strains, Ebola, and a dozen other dangerous infections have been at the forefront of everyone's mind.  The idea that a virus that's out of control in West Africa could become widespread in the United States legitimately frightens people.  Honestly Ebola doesn't care if its in Africa, China, the US, or the middle of the United Federation of Planets.  It doesn't look at race, religion, or creed.  If it gets into you body, it will infect and probably kill you.  Though not airborne, it is highly contagious.  It is a concern, but not something to panic over. 


In conclusion, this Ebola outbreak is an important news item.  Mostly likely people will keep making cracks about it online for a while.  It's always interesting to take a look at the effects of real life meeting fiction, and vise versa.