That is also the only time I ever watch MSNBC - to see the long faces on the occasional election night.

Oh, that’s so PG --go for the faces over at MSNBC!

I do remember West Wing, although I never watched it. I don't watch CNN except on election nights that Democrats lose - just to see the long faces.

Haven't read it, but a few friends have and it sounds, from their comments, spot on.

Remember "West Wing"? The Prez spent precious few minutes in his Situation Room... why does "Woof Blister" spend every waking minute in his? Yep... to get you to watch the next commercials and make him money.

Could make me sick. Then again, it doesn't, because I never watch his show... :)

Unfortunately the mainscream media is thinking about Ebola. They know that a scared public is beneficial to their political colleagues and simultaneously helps them with the bottom line. It is definitely in their best interest. Did you ever read Michael Crichton's book called State of Fear?

You're welcome, and thank you, too, again.
I didn't mean to imply that Ebola is not a danger to US citizens, but I am glad that more calm voices are finally getting the word out that we all ain't gonna die of it any time soon...

Critical Thinking in the US is dead, at least in the mainscream media. Nobody looks into details which make the difference between panic, worry and BFD...

Thanks, plusaf. I was not saying that we shouldn't be concerned. The financial implications of having Ebola in America are not small. However, the media overblows just about everything, as you said. That is in their best interest.

Oh, and maybe I didn't get the original intent of the posting...

If I get the flu and recover, do you consider me to 'not have the flu any more,' or do I still have it, by some measure you're not sharing?

If a patient contracts Ebola, has symptoms and blood tests show the virus is in their system, yet they 'recover' and later show no symptoms or don't fail any blood testing sampling, do they 'still have Ebola' or not?

Without some description of your criteria for that go/no-go choice, the question loses its meaning.

Unless you're Woof Blister and your paycheck depends on Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt...
:)

JB, thanks for taking this thread onto a more rational, non-conspiracy-theory-bent direction.

Dying from Ebola virus depends on prior health conditions, whether you came or come in contact with someone expelling liquids rife with the virus, whether you can get fluid replenishment and nutrition, and probably a raft of other reasons!

To use any ONE 'survival' or 'fatality rate' is just plain nonsense without accounting for the total environment of the 'next victim.'

People are starting to get that clue and even health officials and some mainscream media folks are admitting that the panic reactions in the media were 'maybe a little bit overblown.'

As Usual.

The price increase announcements are being held until AFTER the election

He is voting straight Republican. Not sure it will help. I don't trust any politician any more.

You know the secret service scrubbed her with Chlorox before she got anywhere near him.

Keeps him in fear that he needs to vote democrat so he still has his health insurance if he gets ebola.

True, in every case, the odds of survival are pretty much "reset". If you have 6 people that are sick, and the first 4 survive, that doesn't automatically mean that #5 has a 75 or 80% chance of dying to reset the statistic. It just means that over a very large population study, you would expect to see the statistic as it is.

For all of the bumbling, there is a certain level of truth to better care levels in the US with isolation, bed rest, fluid levels retained, etc., compared to being treated outside in a mud hut behind a fence in 100 degree humid heat.

I actually think its more of a problem of incompetence than malicious intent in most cases. There are 3 million federal employees, its like calling all Republicans the "vast right-wing conspiracy" that somehow involves 90 million people or so. The IRS thing is probably malicious... but the CDC bumbling just seems like incompetence. These people don't "treat patients". They go to meetings where they whine about their benefits and travel allowances.

It was only about a year ago that the Auditor-General came down like a ton of bricks on CDC for their employees being stupid & careless. They were walking around in normal lab coats carrying petri dishes containing live pandemic virus and bacteria samples, leaving them out on tables in plain view and unsecured/unguarded and not behind locked areas, etc. Until this ebola thing erupted, Congress was ready to start firing all of them, starting from the top.

Fort Detrick should be the only place that stuff is handled, as they have adequate security and a military posture & practice. The CDC needs to stick to making handout cards that look like the dumb safety-belt how-to's on an airplane and showing people how to put on protective garb.

The problem with federal employees doesn't matter what agency, etc. They self-proclaim this wizardry level of work ethic, etc., but are really just lazy, make mountains out of mole hills of problems, and the over-arching problem is the self-protectionist actions of their own jobs out of fear they may have to work in the private sector instead and "produce" something every day. The "secret sauce" is that huge percentages of the workforce are contracted out to the private sector to work alongside their federal counter parts and do the "all others" because a federal employee will not usually do anything not specifically enumerated in their written job description.

.7 times .7 is .49

"they have been making vague reassuring statements"
They probably think don't rock he boat. Don't cause a panic. Unfortunately lying is more likely to cause a panic than telling an unpleasant truth.

This is another think that has been mishandled. If you indeed treat the returning medical personnel as criminals, you WILL have made a self-fulfilling prophecy on discouraging them from going to Africa to fight ebola there.

How about this instead: Let us take a military VIP quarters building and make it the quarantine site. Then, when a doctor or nurse returns home from Africa, let's welcome them as heroes, take their picture for the paper, put them in a limo and drive them to their VIP quarters, where they are plied with custom meals and superb internet access for the duration of their quarantine.

Jan

Wait... I thought he didn't like photo ops... Janus faced through and through.

imo, this was just the media display to give Cuomo an excuse to reverse his decision.
"... the one thing I've learned about this place. No one here is exactly what he appears."
G'Kar, Babylon 5, Mind War (1994)

Yes you are right, they just don't seem to realize the more people know the less panic will erupt. Plus, I live in a place where they are already going buts about this stuff and they know pretty much nothing except what is onon the news channels. Everyone seems to be freaking out about it but don't know all the facts.

And they allowed their EMPLOYEE to publish an article emotionally appealing for policy / protocol changes which influenced Gov. Cuomo. Was that their intention? Why haven t they made a statement about that? This is really unbelievable incompetence and lack of skilled leadership.