A Global Epidemic: Ready or Not Here it Comes

Watching the movie on Ebola in Africa led to the discussion of how a global epidemic is always a possibility. There are discovered patterns in when diseases become worse and we create means to reduce the spread, but there is little to nothing we as humans can do to prevent diseases from beginning their spread.

              Taking all of human history into consideration, we are at a point now where we are the least vulnerable to a worldwide pandemic, but that does not mean we are safe. Right now, modern medicine protects us from the diseases we know of and stays at pace with the mutations these diseases develop. However, modern medicine cannot protect us from the shortcomings of humanity and the pure destructive nature of life. Diseases thrive in areas with poor medical opportunity, poor sanitation, and lower standards of living, as these factors create an environment where disease can flourish and spread uncontrollably at times. These factors are found mostly in third world countries or in areas ravaged by natural disaster, as the things that put humans at their weakest are what makes diseases the strongest. The film on Ebola showed how the disease ravaged Africa as a lack of effective medical containment methods and cultural disbelief were issues.

              Concerning medical issues, the facilities set up by assisting medical personnel were not well-suited to deal with a disease like Ebola, and the staff were poorly trained or were mere volunteer workers. Those who were not trained in dealing with such a highly contagious and deadly disease frequently got sick as well. The bodies of the deceased were not dealt with properly, being buried hours after their death but not before being left uncovered around others, essentially providing the disease the opportunity to leave the body through bodily fluids before the it was buried. The makeshift hospitals set up by medical personnel were often covered with bodily fluids of the infected while non-sick patients were left to potentially walk through zones with disease-infected body fluids if unwatched. This happened only a few years ago, and still managed to take plenty of lives. Though modern medicine has the means to stop an outbreak, it is impossible to prevent one completely, especially in third-world countries, due to the lack of necessary medical equipment, improper hospital safety precautions, and no formal training.

              A greater factor in the spreading of Ebola in Africa in the last outbreak was a great misconception about the dangers of the illness. The buzz around the villages suffering from outbreaks were first terrified and clueless, but this dangerous mixture soon turned to skepticism and disbelief. A lack of deep understanding by suffering populations led to increased exposure and a lack of safe communication. The disease had travelled hundreds of miles and into multiple villages due to lack of knowledge or understanding of what was happening. Though the disease itself is dangerous, paired with a lack of understanding in protocol or safety humans pose a much greater risk to each other when infected.

            The topic of debate amongst many is if we as a species are ready for the next big global outbreak, because though we are advancing in our medical technologies, we still cannot control diseases and cannot prevent them. Our only hope is to prepare as best as we can with plans in place for when it does happen. We will not know if we are ready for the next outbreak because we can never be fully ready until we know what we are up against, but by then it could very well be too late.