Mixed messages, yeah, that’s the GOP problem:

By blaming Obama on Ebola, Rs communicate that big gov’t could function well — if only it were run competently. http://t.co/yZlK5oPc42

— Philip Klein (@philipaklein) October 17, 2014

When they’re not demonizing President Obama (which is every day 24/7/365, and is a jobs program all of its own for GOP and right wing pundits), they’re busy undermining government functioning properly. Whether it’s the GOP shutdown last year, or curtailing the levels of funding for critical public health groups - CDC, NIH, FDA, etc., general regulatory agencies that provide workplace safety, or the EPA, the GOP is busy attempting to dismantle the government - all while claiming that if they did things, they’d be better at it?

This is an anti-science and anti-rational party. They are pushing air bans from Africa out of fear, not actual science. 1 person has actually come in from Africa since December 2013 and came down with the disease (and later died). That person didn’t even fly directly from Africa. He came via Brussels.

The hospital where he thought he could get proper care screwed up at every opportunity - whether it was refusing to admit him in the first instance, or once they finally did so two days later, they didn’t have proper protocols in place to protect the nurses and doctors who have the most direct and immediate contact with the patient. Two more people are now infected.

Three - out of 310 million people in the country.

It’s a worrisome event, but in the same time frame, how many people have gotten sick and died of Enterovirus D68? Influenza?

The threat of Ebola is that if you get it, the odds are that you’re likely to die, even with the best of care (70% mortality). It’s very tough to get. It’s impossible to get unless you have direct contact with someone who has the disease and this part is important - has to be actively showing symptoms.

That compares with influenza, where you could be a carrier and infect people without knowing it. It’s far less transmissible than enterovirus or norovirus. It’s far less transmissible than measles.

So, if you’re concerned about getting sick, get vaccinated for influenza and be current on your other shots. Get your kids vaccinated. That will do more to keep them (and anyone who is too young, too old/infirm, or is immune compromised like ppl on cancer treatments, or are allergic to eggs, which is a growth medium for many vaccines) from getting sick than any flight ban from Africa.