Consider for a second what happens behind the scenes. We've seen the coverage of what has happened at the hospital in Dallas, where (at least) two staffers trained in how to avoid catching Ebola have now come down with it. In theory, these should be the people least likely to catch it - they have proper gear, are in an enclosed, controlled area, and have the CDC instructing them on procedure.
What about the "village" of folks that have dealt with the virus in Dallas, that don't have the same benefits as the hospital workers? The folks that remove the medical waste, scrubbed Duncan's apartment, transport the hazardous materials, etc. This piece in USA Today is a great testament how regular folks in Dallas rallied to help fill in gaps, and pitch in to solve some problems. It's the USA at its best - "can-do" attitudes, getting the job done, and being good neighbors.
But it also shows how quickly something like Ebola can spread, even in a Country where there is "no viable threat" of it spreading.
If hospitals workers, properly outfitted and trained have contracted the virus, what are the chances that the guy scrubbing an affected apartment could catch it? Could one of the barrels not have been completely cleaned on the outside? What is one of the barrels shifted during transport, and the lid opened slightly?
The TV show Scrubs offers a few illustrations:
It's the exponential factor at work that makes me nervous. One becomes two, two becomes four, four becomes several dozen in short order. Factor in how mobile our society is today, and how a single infected person can easily interact with others, and those "green hands" in the Scrubs scenes begin to play out and multiply.
Hopefully, Ebola is contained, and there will be no more cases here in the States, and those affected continue to improve, and survive.
In the meantime, wash your hands more frequently than usual.
