Clearly we have a Taylor Swift problem. I blame Obama. He allowed the Taylor Swift problem to grow out of control, rather than calling in drone strikes early and often.
:).
So anyhow, here’s the deal: Ebola is one of those diseases that doesn’t last long in a human population if there isn’t a reservoir species to host it, because it’s just too bloody deadly. Once you come down with ebola you go down *fast*. While it’s spreadable from human to human via body fluids, that usually only is an issue for caregivers and family members. Here in the US caregivers have taken notice and are taking steps to prevent bodily fluid contamination, while family members, well, they’ll end up dead (well, 50% of them will), but generally not spreading it to anybody else because look, here in America, how many of us exchange body fluids with anybody other than our loved ones? This isn’t Italy where one is greeted with great gobbing smacking kisses to the cheek, or Africa where ebola-contaminated bush meat is grabbed off the forest floor, teeming with ebola-laden bodily fluids, to go into a stew pot and eaten with unwashed hands. This is America, where we don’t know our neighbors’ names, even, much less exchange bodily fluids with them, and where we don’t talk to our extended family members beyond our immediate family except on holidays and, occasionally, birthdays.
So: Expect a lot more dead people in Africa, where people continue eating contaminated bush meat containing the virus, and where intricate extended families where members of multiple generations take care of dozens of relatives mean that the circle of potential infectees is impossibly large. But here in America? I expect that the graphic above will still be true by the end of next year.
Just blame Obama, ‘kay?
– Badtux the Snarky Penguin
You’re probably right about Ebola not breaking out here; but make no assumptions, for viruses are unpredictable little monsters.
What worries me is, how far will it go in East Africa? Will it mutate?
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I’m not worried about America being directly affected by Ebola so much — although the media have primed Merkins to be on the verge of panic for so long, they might stampede in some odd fashion. But if this disease becomes endemic to chaotic megacities in West Africa, it will fester and erupt in unpredictable ways. I can foresee it spreading to India and being devastating there. In this interconnected global moneyflow system, if Indian society has the equivalent of a stroke, it’s going to reverb everywhere. And that’s IF the direct death toll stays under control. How many extra deaths can the world handle each year from a new disease — 600,000, the number from malaria? Actually, the “world” would probably love it if there were fewer of us. But can the current pattern of civilisation keep on an even keel with a neo-malaria? I think Ebola is going to be the spanner in the gears of the globalisation trademachine, and it’s ON! Welcome to The Great Unraveling…
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You really oughta know that Italians don’t gob on each other’s cheeks, we just touch and make noise. Repeatedly. Some unspecified number of times. Back and forth. Over and over. Will it never end?!?!?
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But, but, but…my mom (Fauxnews and Rush listener) told me that 11 people with Ebola have been caught, CAUGHT I SAYS crossing our southern border. You know, the border without the 10 foot fence (because no brown-skinned person could ever build a 12 foot ladder, or dig a tunnel).
Sob!
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My fear of being infected with the ebola virus is in proportion to my hope that earth doesn’t get hit by a life ending meteor before I become ashes to ashes and dust to dust.
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” “Obama has favored his African brothers over the rest of us by allowing them free entry into this country,” – Larry Klayman
Mind you, I’d rather catch Taylor Swift than Ebola,.
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I dunno, catching Taylor Swift sounds like it might be dangerous too. For one thing, she has very large hulking bodyguards who might take offense ;).
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Yea, but Taylor Swift just writes nasty songs about you…Ebola…
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I dunno, catching Taylor Swift sounds like it might be dangerous too. For one thing, she has very large hulking bodyguards who might take offense ;).
Look, one of them will lead to you leaking body fluids all over the place, and th- wait.
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