Present Ebola scare worldwide has all ingredients of a thriller. This suspense thriller is being staged on world canvas, with innumerable characters. One does not know as to how and when the saga would end. Very few individuals had any inkling of this deadly disease, till as late as the year 2014. The first reference to this deadly disease is from Africa in the year 1976. Outbreaks of Ebola were intermittently recorded in African countries and were supposedly contained in due course of time. The seriousness of the danger was felt by people at large, when reports surfaced in prominent news channels and major newspapers about major outbreaks and the possibility of afflicted individuals entering American soil.
Main reasons for the fear in the minds of people are non specific vague symptoms, non availability of effective medicines and very high proportion of deaths, in clinically diagnosed Ebola victims. In the last two decades, the whole population of the world, Americans included, have gone through the scare of newly found deadly diseases. Some near epidemic like situations were witnessed, when reports surfaced about cases of bird flu, swine flu, SARS. In all these cases the spread was more due to international travel by affected persons than by other means. Multiplicity of television news channels reporting 24 by 7, and social media did contribute towards a feeling of impending danger. When the frenzy of fear does not subside and attains a critical mass in public interactions, full fledged fear psychosis is developed in society. This is where the society in general and nation in particular faces the threat. In Ebola scare, the present anxiety has already metamorphosed into a national threat.
Presently there are just four cases of Ebola victims, on American soil. The real battle against this deadly disease is being fought in the African countries of Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia. Total number of affected people in the African sub-Continent, is almost in tens of thousands, with more than 4000 deaths. The four people in the United States are being treated with maximum care and precaution.
Fever, headache and muscle pain are some of the symptoms of Ebola affected persons. Very incidentally, these are exactly the same symptoms of normal, non-fatal flu. Thus, when people are constantly bombarded with reports and discussions on Ebola, even normal influenza like situation is regarded as a catastrophe. Rumors, misinformation guised as authentic, float around in abundance. When whole society’s morale is so low, rational thinking takes back seat. Emotional reactions override all other logically contrary considerations. This blow to society’s psyche has to be avoided at all cost.
Media-persons and activists, who want to work for betterment of society, have a duty cut for them. Rational thinkers can play proactive role in spreading logical, scientific information to less informed people. Use of all arms of social media can make the task finish faster. People must be convinced that Ebola can spread only through contact of body fluids and that there is no other way to counteract it. People must be made to feel safe. Once the anxiety factor is contained, social psyche can again become healthy, not to be breached easily.
