An Introduction, or How I'm Pretty Sure I Don't Have Ebola

"Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine."

Well, in reality she flew, and then probably took a car or a cab, but what we do know that is a week ago today, a young woman who is and was a proven carrier of the Ebola virus visited my city.  Did she infect anyone?  Are we in danger?  Is this time to panic?  As a healthcare worker who deals with public health, emergency medicine, adolescent health, and rehabilitative therapy services in the city of Akron, Ohio, these are probably the least ridiculous questions I have encountered over the past week.  

Increasingly frustrated by mass panic created in part by the news media and in part by what can only be described by saying some of the deepest worries and fears that we face in our communities, I have decided to blog about my experiences with friends, family, and the public.  Partially I seek to relieve stress and frustration gained by dealing with the Ebola hysteria, partially provide some comic relief to other healthcare workers who are becoming as annoyed as I am, and partially I seek to help provide further education to a public that is doing itself more harm than good by going berzerk over an issue that they have decided to panic about due to misinformation and media-produced fears.

Take of it what you want, but if you learn something then pass it on so that someone else might learn something too!

I myself am quite certain that I do not currently have Ebola, nor have I been exposed to it, despite the fact that I live in the Cleveland-Akron area and frequently venture outside of my house to have contact with friends, family, and the general public.  As a healthcare professional, the importance of hand washing and good health and sanitation practices has been impressed upon me since I was a wee high school student just beginning to explore my eventual field of choice.  I wash before eating, after toileting, and sanitize after contacting objects that are frequently touched by other members of the public who might not be so vigilant in their cleanliness.  I always wear appropriate personal protective equipment, or PPE, when in contact with people who may be ill or with blood or other bodily fluids.  I do not have Ebola.  I can almost guarantee that unless you are reading this from West Africa that you probably do not have Ebola either.