Ebola IV - Containment

So why don't we - the rich, privileged, and terrified - close off all contact with West Africa? Some politicians have advocated terminating flights to risky countries, but the CDC and other experts have resolutely opposed that. The first reason, I feel, is an ethical one. We have resources, volunteers, and an obligation to care for those who need aid. But even beyond moral obligation, the world is globally interconnected. There will be no way to quarantine a part of the world or a people, and attempting to do so will encourage illicit means of getting across borders. At least with airplanes, we can screen passengers for symptoms. If we shut airports down, the terrified and fleeing of West Africa will still make it out, but through means that are less traceable. Furthermore, the economies of West Africa are already being stressed by this epidemic; the cost of food has skyrocketed, and if trade were further suppressed, the economic damage to these countries - several of which have recently experienced civil war - may be irreparable.

Most importantly, though, containment of the disease in West Africa is what will prevent an epidemic or pandemic. Infectious diseases like this grow exponentially over time and if we try to isolate ourselves from the rest of the world, it will grow larger and larger until it overwhelms whatever barriers we throw up. If this gets out of control, the mortality will be unconscionable and the ability to get on top of the epidemic will be much more challenging. Now is the time to muster our resources, send health care workers to Africa, and put our minds together to limit the spread of disease. We cannot hide or ignore it.

First image is of an Ebola treatment unit; second image is of WHO health care workers putting on personal protective equipment. Both images shown under Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike License.