Ebola Travel Ban

Ebola at Large

Ebola! A name that strikes terror in the population!  What are we to do about it?  Do we, as a nation hide from it?  Do we take extreme measures to keep it from our shores?  I am neither a medical expert nor a politician, but I am a citizen or the United States of America (USA), and I have a family and friends to be concerned about.  Many of them travel all over the world and come in contact with other people in varied circumstances and environments.  I say “yes!” keep it from our shores and minimize infectious contact to the degree possible – even though it may inflict great inconvenience on those who travel abroad.  This is especially true of those who make a conscious choice to expose themselves to infectious situations.  Though many of them are doing so in a very commendable way, they have no right to make that choice for others, and they alone should suffer the consequences of their actions.  If they have to endure quarantine as a result of their actions they should be responsible enough to do so without complaint – they should especially not try to garner monetary benefits from law suits claiming discrimination or some other equally untrue and distasteful proclamation.

 

Scientific Process in Ebola Problem Solution

As an engineer and physicist, I do have some understanding of the scientific process in finding a solution to a problem. The scientific process involves collecting data regarding the problem, analyze the data, organize the data and develop theories that the data supports, test the theories against the data, evaluate the results.  Repeat the process until the most satisfactory solution to the problem is found.

Travel Ban Should be Implemented

In the current Ebola life and death decision situation, as described above, the worst-case situation should be understood and tested first – easing of restrictions can be done as information dictates. If a researcher is theorizing about explosives, he or she first works with small amounts of the various materials and end-product explosive.  After the products are understood satisfactorily, the end-product is scaled upward to a useful product for the problem solution.  This principle should be followed in decisions involving Ebola.  A strict travel ban should be enacted against flights and other travel to and from the regions experiencing Ebola.  Those health workers and others returning after exposure to the regions should be under strict quarantine, and violation should incur criminal penalties.

 

Ebola Described

Nurses