SUMMARY:
In the article “First case of Ebola outside of Africa is reported in Texas” published by the Los Angeles Times on Oct. 1, 2014 we learn that a man who had traveled from Liberia to Dallas, TX is the first case of Ebola in the United States. Surprisingly, he came to the Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital because he was sick and they gave him some antibiotics but then sent him home! They didn't realize he had the serious ebola virus. Now, medical experts are trying to examine all the people he may have come into contact to see if any of them got Ebola. Fortunately, health experts at the Center for Disease Control have said that a widespread outbreak of Ebola in the United States is unlikely. This is because the United States has more resources than West African countries and much better healthcare.
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| SOURCE: www.newsela.com |
ANALYSIS:
I was surprised the doctors didn't catch that the man had Ebola the first time he went to the hospital. I disagree with the steps the first doctors took---they shouldn't have just given him antibiotics and sent him home. As we saw in Africa, they should isolate patients with Ebola so they don’t get other people sick. I hope the U.S. government learns from what is happening in Africa and better protect U.S. citizens. I also think that U.S. drug and pharmaceutical companies should spend more money making vaccines or cures for Ebola.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
- How can the United States prepare its citizens for Ebola without scaring everyone?
- Do you think its fair that the U.S. has so many more resources and hospitals while so many people in W. Africa are dying?
- Do you think drug companies will start trying to find a cure now that Americans might be getting Ebola? Are they more likely to try to find cures for diseases that rich people get than poor people so the company can make more money?
The United States could prepare the population without scaring them by saying to just be careful about people who have could possibly have Ebola or if you think you have Ebola then to go to a hospital while also assuring everybody that it is contained and not a serious problem.
ReplyDeleteI think that the United states should prepare for this by sending people to Africa to learn more about Ebola, then teach the people back in America about what they leaned in Africa. Althouh it may be dangerous but it may be worth a try, that way we can find more ways to solve Ebola and it would be easier to get rid of it by not scaring the citizens in the United states.
ReplyDelete