As you might have heard Ebola is all over the news and the
internet. Ebola has actually been around since 1976, but why has it suddenly
taken the news by storm? The answer relies in the sheer numbers of the infected
in the current outbreak. Currently at over 4,000 reported cases along with an
estimated 2400 deaths, this is the largest outbreak of Ebola in global history
and is affecting not only countries in West Africa and surrounding area(s). Ebola’s quick and effective takedown of people
and even entire towns is thanks to the culture of the people who are infected. The
need to take care of a family member when they are ill is engrained in the
local culture. Breaking tradition because of a deadly disease is unthinkable.
It would be disgraceful to abandon family in need or even in their final
moments. Tactics taken to slow the spread of Ebola will not be able to
completely contain it unless the local populous complies.
Medical professionals could take the infected away from
their families and homes, has the potential to reduce the number of those
infected. But as previously mentioned this would be a difficult task to
accomplish without using brute force. This may be difficult to understand in
our views but think about it in a different way. For example what if a close
family member was taken away from you and weren’t able to see them for several
months only because they had a common cold. Although Ebola is a much more serious
threat to humans than the common cold, the possibility of letting a family
member die alone in an unfamiliar place not under family care is on a similar platform.
It is not entirely possible to completely eradicate this
virus unless people on all sides work together. Otherwise even more people can
become infected and potentially die to Ebola. Hopefully in the coming weeks and
months a alternative way to treat those infected without crossing cultural
barriers will be unveiled.
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