Why would anyone panic over a very ill person

[jeff47]

37. Unfamiliarity

Ebola is killing people "over there" in a spectacular way. That makes it exotic and unfamiliar, and it doesn't help when the news talks up the danger in order to attract more viewers.

Contrast that with Hantavirus. It's endemic to the US. It's spread by infected rats via bites, urine and feces. It's far easier to come into contact with those than the blood, vomit or diarrhea of an ebola victim. And the incubation period can be as long as 8 weeks, instead of 3 for ebola. Hantavirus causes a hemorrhagic fever, just like ebola. There is no treatment, just like ebola. And it's extremely deadly without modern medical care supporting the victim.

Coverage in the media? Virtually none. It's a familiar danger.

So people hear about ebola, hear Anderson Cooper talking about how dangerous it is, and then hear that infected people are being deliberately flown to the US. They react to what little they know, which is fear.