Much Ado About Nothing?

By Jack Ohman, for the Sacramento Bee

Everyone not living under a rock is probably aware of Ebola right now, especially since mainstream attention got a boost when patient zero Thomas Duncan unwittingly imported it into the US from Liberia last October 1. The timing of TV shows like The Last Ship and The Strain have certainly helped thrust the subject of pandemics into the spotlight.

Just like any tragedy, there are many opinions going around, including conspiracy theories. One of the more popular conspiracy theories is the "global depopulation agenda" supposedly being instituted by those working towards a New World Order. In fact, as far back as 2006, University of Texas professor Dr. Eric Pianka advocated the mass culling of 90% of the world's population through the use of an airborne Ebola virus. Creepy, huh?

There are others who contend that it's all an elaborate ploy for pharmaceutical companies to make a killing with vaccines, the way Tamiflu was pushed in the wake of the H1N1 scare. Actually, one of the more far out conspiracy theories I read about came out soon after the disappearance of Flight MH370 back in March. The theory goes that MH370 was actually diverted to the US military base in Diego Garcia via remote control (like a drone) and that a team from the CDC and its counterpart from the People's Republic of China were scrambled and sent there. Since, in hindsight, it turns out the Ebola virus was starting to rage out of control in Africa at about that time, one has to wonder if there really was something to that particular conspiracy theory.

On the other hand, both government and medical officials keep stating that there is nothing to worry about, that Ebola does not spread easily. A few outlets have even mentioned other threats and diseases that kill thousands of Americans each year (also refer to the infographic image) but don't make the news like Ebola does, the implication being that Ebola is being hyped by fear mongers.

Be that as it may, something was lacking in the CDC response to the initial Ebola outbreak. Two healthcare workers got infected after treating Duncan (compare this to Doctors Without Borders where they were able to treat thousands of Ebola-infected patients before doctors started getting infected), there were missteps in decontaminating the apartment complex where Duncan stayed, and one of the infected nurses was even allowed to fly by the CDC despite having a fever.

Even if Ebola was not as scary as portrayed by media, people may have more to be concerned about government ineptitude (or nefariousness, if you believe the "depopulation" theory) than with the virus itself. Add to this the fact that the US continues to accept flights from Ebola-affected countries and hasn't secured illegal immigration in its southern border and it's easy to see why some people think that the US government wants Ebola to spread inside the country.

Nevertheless, there are signs of hope. Aside from the two nurses who were caring for Duncan, no one else Duncan had come in contact with has come down with Ebola and the Spanish nurse who contracted Ebola has apparently fully recovered. Even more goods news is the report that Nigeria has managed to become Ebola free with no new outbreaks for the past 42 days. It's encouraging because Nigeria's case shows that a country doesn't need to be a first world nation in order to effectively handle Ebola.

Still, Ebola remains a major concern. As long as air travel continues unabated across the world, it's still possible for Ebola to slip in even to those countries that have managed to stamp it out or into areas that haven't had an Ebola infection before, as evidenced by the latest news that a New York City doctor who just came from West Africa has tested positive for Ebola. Mutation is also another concern, although health officials keep downplaying that possibility.

But then again, in the book The Hot Zone, author Richard Preston relates a 1989 incident at a primate quarantine facility in Reston, Virginia where an Ebola virus quickly mutated and started to spread among the primates like influenza. When samples were sent to the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), two USAMRIID scientists accidentally exposed themselves to the virus when they wafted the flask. Although airborne and lethal to monkeys, thankfully that particular strain was effectively harmless to humans. However, the incident still shows that the possibility of Ebola becoming airborne is not as remote as we are being told to believe.

Given the above, is there anything the individual can do? The answer is yes. Since Ebola is a virus, the only way to fight it is through the body's immune system. Medical care can only help insofar as providing the patient enough nutrition and keeping the patient hydrated and clean, but the real battle can only be fought by the patient. Therefore, it makes sense to simply strengthen one's immune system and keep it that way, and this would be important even without the Ebola crisis anyway.

Fortunately, instead of sitting down just waiting for a vaccine, there are many natural ways to improve your immune system right now. Turmeric, cayenne pepper, Vitamin D through sensible sun exposure and apple cider vinegar are just some of the natural supplements you can take everyday. Getting enough sleep and exercise (not too much, since overtraining can actually reduce your immunity) also help.

Another important thing to note is that 80% of your immune system is located in your digestive tract, so keeping your beneficial gut bacteria at an optimal level is paramount. You can do this by consuming more fermented foods, kefir and yogurt (go organic, as much as possible).

While doing the above won't guarantee immunity or even survival, better health still leads to a better life even if you never encounter Ebola (and hopefully never will). The important thing is that you can be proactive and not give in to the fear, because the response is literally in your hands!