Paul Giorgio: Ebola Should Not Be A Political Football

Wednesday, October 22, 2014
Paul Giorgio, GoLocalWorcester MINDSETTER™

It’s probably a good thing to worry about Ebola. However, the chances of an average American contracting it are almost nonexistent. We are a country of 300 million people with a pretty sophisticated medical system. We have had one carrier, Thomas Eric Duncan, from Liberia, who flew to Texas. Although he was systematic, a Dallas hospital turned him away and sent him home with Tylenol.

Subsequently, he returned to the same hospital and died. Two nurses who treated him also became infected, but are recovering. Duncan’s family has ended their 21 day quarantined yesterday, with no apparent infection.

So is the Ebola scare in the United States over. I think not. The public health issues may have been addressed but not the fear factor. As long as Fox News and the right wingers continue to whip up the hysteria around this issue for political gain, we won’t be able to address the real problem, which is the healthcare crisis in West Africa.

Worcester residents know

We in Worcester are particularly tuned in to the Ebola crisis because of Worcester based and Holden resident, Doctor Rick Sacra. Sacra was treated at the University of Nebraska medical School in Omaha, after contracting Ebola while working in Liberia. Sacra later developed the flu and turned up at UMass/Memorial Healthcare’s Memorial campus. It did startle the nursing staff to see an Ebola survivor in the emergency Room.

So far Duncan is the only casualty in this country, while all three healthcare workers who came in contact with him have recovered. The third person, a lab technician was on a cruise ship and was cleared on Sunday. As an interesting side note as we debate cancelling flights into this country from infected areas, Mexico refused to allow the cruise ship dock in its country.  

Ebola is a health crisis, not a political football

We need to address the Ebola crisis as a healthcare crisis and not use it for political gain. There should be no TV commercials showing the disease in West Africa and the toll it is taking. But there will be. The Republican right wingers can’t help themselves. They’ve already taken down the ISIS spots which linked that Middle East crisis to immigration here. Now, I am sure we will seeing an Ebola spot linking the disease to immigration.

What we need to do

Last week the President appointed an Ebola Czar, Ron Klain, who was Vice President Joe Biden’s Chief of Staff. I have known Ron for a number of years. We met when he was Al Gore’s Chief of Staff.  Ron was criticized for not having a medical background.  You don’t need one to handle this issue. That is what we have the CDC for. What you need is someone who knows how government works and how to move the levers of power. Klain knows how to do that.

There are a few things we need to do and a few things we should not do.

The first thing we should not do is to ban flights from West Africa. If someone wants to get here they will. They can fly from Liberia to London and then on to the United States. What we need to do are screen people in West Africa, before they board a plane. What we need to do is treat the epidemic in West Africa before it reaches our shores. Stop it there with proper healthcare and stop its spread.  But this will cost money-money the Tea Partiers don’t want to spend. If we need to send the CDC or the military to West Africa let’s do it.

Let’s force airlines to disinfect planes before the leave West Africa. Maybe we need to issue masks to all passengers on planes arriving from infected areas.

We need to better train American Healthcare workers on how to avoid infection.

We need to end Fox News’ fanning the flames for political gain.

Paul Giorgio is a longtime Democratic Party Activist who has worked on numerous campaigns. He was a Lead Advance Person for President Clinton & Vice President Gore. He was Deputy Director of Special Events for President Clinton’s first Inauguration. He has been elected a delegate to numerous Democratic National Conventions and recently served as one of President Obama’s representatives on the Platform Committee. In 2013 he was chosen as a Presidential Elector. He is the President of Pagio, Inc., publishers of Pulse Magazine, Vitality Magazine and Worcester Medicine.