Contact with bodily fluids? Close proximity with other bipedal life forms? Inability to leave when you wish?
There are three industries which will be damaged, possibly seriously, by the Ebola threat.
Churches
Cruise Boats
Airlines
First a little about Ebola. From the Church of Ineffable Stupidity (and the CDC):
The 2014 Ebola epidemic is the largest in history, affecting multiple countries in West Africa. Although the risk of an Ebola outbreak in the United States is very low, CDC and partners are taking precautions to prevent this from happening. One travel-associated case was diagnosed in the United States on September 30, 2014. On October 12, 2014, a healthcare worker at Texas Presbyterian Hospital who provided care for the index patient has tested positive for Ebola. CDC confirms that the healthcare worker is positive for Ebola.
Frontier Airlines notification:
On the morning of Oct. 14, the second healthcare worker reported to the hospital with a low-grade fever and was isolated. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirms that the second healthcare worker who tested positive last night for Ebola traveled by air Oct. 13, the day before she reported symptoms.
Because of the proximity in time between the evening flight and first report of illness the following morning, CDC is reaching out to passengers who flew on Frontier Airlines flight 1143 Cleveland to Dallas/Fort Worth Oct. 13.
CDC is asking all 132 passengers on Frontier Airlines flight 1143 Cleveland to Dallas/Fort Worth on October 13 (the flight route was Cleveland to Dallas Fort Worth and landed at 8:16 p.m. CT) to call 1 800-CDC INFO (1 800 232-4636). After 1 p.m. ET, public health professionals will begin interviewing passengers about the flight, answering their questions, and arranging follow up. Individuals who are determined to be at any potential risk will be actively monitored.
The healthcare worker exhibited no signs or symptoms of illness while on flight 1143, according to the crew. Frontier is working closely with CDC to identify and notify passengers who may have traveled on flight 1143 on Oct. 13. Passengers who may have traveled on flight 1143 should contact CDC at 1 800-CDC INFO (1 800 232-4636).
So, where else will the threat of disease impact our country? Airports? Sure thing. Schools? Dorms? Hospitals? Nursing homes?
Here's what the CDC says about the actual risk:
Risk
All cases of human illness or death from Ebola have occurred in Africa (with the exception of several laboratory contamination cases: one in England and two in Russia). One travel-associated case was diagnosed in the United States on September 30, 2014. On October 12, 2014, a healthcare worker at Texas Presbyterian Hospital who provided care for the index patient has tested positive for Ebola. CDC confirms that the healthcare worker is positive for Ebola. For more information, see Cases of Ebola Diagnosed in the United States.
Healthcare providers caring for Ebola patients and the family and friends in close contact with Ebola patients are at the highest risk of getting sick because they may come in contact with the blood or body fluids of sick patients. People also can become sick with Ebola after coming in contact with infected wildlife. For example, in Africa, Ebola may spread as a result of handling bushmeat (wild animals hunted for food) and contact with infected bats. The virus also can be spread through contact with objects (like clothes, bedding, needles, syringes/sharps or medical equipment) that have been contaminated with the virus or with infected animals.
Past Ebola outbreaks have occurred in the following countries:
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
Gabon
South Sudan
Ivory Coast
Uganda
Republic of the Congo (ROC)
South Africa (imported)
Texas has a lot in common with Gabon, 268,000 square miles, compared to 267,000 for Texas. Both have a small group of extremely wealthy people, because of high income inequality. A large proportion of the population remains poor and substantial portion lives near poverty. Gabor boasts of higher literacy rates than Texas, along with a higher standard of living, including better schools, better health care, better access to reproductive health, and having far smarter politicians there, compared to Texas.
Both are extremely hot and humid, and both rely on natural gas and petroleum as their most abundant natural riches.
One thing that Gabon does much better than Texas? It knows how to deal with Ebola. The political leaders of Texas still support cutting more CDC and NIH funds because. . . . . because. Oh, and "Debt!"
So, what industries may suffer from the current Ebola hysteria, mainly from bad information and fear?
Churches
Where else are people herded in, shoulder to shoulder, and often asked to shake hands with their neighboring sheeple? Where else will a sneeze, a cough, or even a runny nose, send shivers of fear into the semi-educated, fearful tea-bagger types?
My response would be to simply let them pray the disease away, since some of them actually think it will do some good.
Here's an idea. Since some ultra-conservative ministers, priests, pastors, and other religious leaders have already claimed AIDS was god's way of punishing America's liberals, I suspect many of them will also jump on the EBOLA bandwagon and claim that this disease is due to gay marriage becoming the law of the land across our nation. Let's put them in charge and send them to Western Africa, armed with their bibles, their prayers, and let them deal with the disease. Besides, many of these folk also supporting cutting CDC and NIH funding because of, you know, austerity and "Debt!" After all, "Debt!" is the satan's plaything. Austerity is the only christian way to act for a government.
This impact won't be widespread. But in states that have even one person exposed to Western Africa or its peoples, I would imagine that bad rumors, bad information, and bad decisions will spread far faster than any cruise ship borne norovirus. Even the presence of one potential case will cause a ripple effect that will spread faster than shit through a diarrhetic goose.
This may mean the financial death of several churches, quite possibly the only good thing that could come from this disease. Watch churches change they way they deal with crowds. And watch gleefully as those crowds diminish for many reasons, the biggest of which is the victory of reason over irrational beliefs, with Ebola running a close second.
Cruise Ships
In early 2014, 20% of the crew and passengers were sickened by a Norovirus causing the Royal Caribbean Island cruise ship to return to its home port in New Jersey.
In February and March, two more virus outbreaks attacked Holland America cruise ships MS Maasdam and MS Veendam while sailing the Caribbean.
In early February a second norovirus outbreak sickened more than 600 people, making it one of the biggest viral attack on any cruise ship in two decades.
Weeks before that attack, Caribbean Princess had a norovirus outbreak that affected close to 200 people. Princess Cruise lines blamed "fog" as the reason for cutting the tour short. Uh huh. The fog of disease.
Seriously, who in their right minds would want to be enclosed in a relatively small place, in contact with hundreds of other people, with no place to go for a week or two? Cruise ships are already viral magnets, in that people would rather risk exposing others than losing their deposits on trips they scheduled before they got sick.
Cruise ships may have to become proactive just to stay in business. Checking customer temperatures before boarding? Allowing rescheduling with no penalty if one is ill? Developing quick and painless Ebola and norovirus screening procedures?
"Change, adapt, or die." That will be the new motto of cruise ships.
Airlines
Airline stocks are tumbling after news that the second health worker to be diagnosed with Ebola flew on a commercial flight the night before reporting a fever.
Shares of the major U.S. airlines were down between 4 percent and 6 percent in midday trading Wednesday.
Frontier Airlines announced that public-health officials were notifying passengers on Monday night's Flight 1143 from Cleveland to Dallas-Fort Worth. The airline's crew reports that the woman showed no symptoms during the flight.
Frontier says because of the short time between the flight and her fever, health officials were contacting all 132 passengers from the flight. Public-health professionals will interview the passengers and monitor those deemed to be at risk for contracting the virus, Frontier says.
AP News
Just as falling fuel prices, increased passenger miles, and almost filled planeloads were pointing to a booming end of year travel season, Ebola strikes again.
Of course, flying has changed for the worse, what with people acting like anchovies for 4-8 hours, no leg room, no elbow room, and poor ventilation. Add the fear of disease transmission and this industry could go bust. Or at least be placed in intensive care.
Airports are already becoming pro-active - at least to arriving patients. Watch for stronger controls at exit points around the world.
Fear is the mind-killer. There is no need to fear Ebola. We do need to fear the GOP and its "Debt!"-based budget cuts and refusal to properly fund the CDC, NIH, and several international organizations.