Originally Posted by
FBinNY
...... Unfortunately, the real danger of Ebola in the USA isn't about human health, it's economic. It's very expensive to manage suspected ebola cases. Currently, we have guidelines for suspicion which include possible sources of infection, and symptoms such as fever.
Fortunately this isn't my problem and I don't have to make policy, but I do support some sort of limited quarantine (more like limited travel into crowded areas and reduced/managed contacts, than strict quarantine) to try to keep this particular Genie in the bottle.
I'd agree the greatest harm being caused to the average healthcare consumer is cost. But not in the way that 1st comes to mind. Both my GP, and one of my wife's specialists have already reported procedural changes in their practices based on "
direction for the government". I only hope the "government" office they are referring was the CDC, or the Surgeon Generals office (and NOT some White House staffer/Ebola Czar).
The greater the regulation and control enforced on health care professionals the greater the costs will be... and likely the poorer the care.
We have been in the process of entering into a globalized environment for many years. Every new flu out of China spreads to the every corner of the Earth faster each year. Every insect infestation, invasive species, every.... everything. We can no longer have Ebola one place... and be sure it won't show-up at any other place.