Ebola Is Here and You Have To Prepare For Disruptions in Your Life Because Of It
It is very unlikely you will get Ebola and unlikely there will be an outbreak in your state, but this does not mean it will not have an impact on your life however.
One immediate effect will be how hospitals and doctor’s offices will handle suspected cases, this may mean delays for you, and this will cause some level of concern for many people. You should avoid hospital emergency rooms unless it is an emergency, because you simply do not know who may be sitting next to you in the waiting room.
Some people treat the emergency rooms like a doctor’s offices. People go there for non-emergencies, which can over burden the staff if they are dealing with an emergency. You are putting yourself and your family at risk when you go to the emergency room when it is not necessary.
There will be people that once they develop a fever for any reason will assume it is Ebola and this will create some chaos in certain areas of the health care system. People may even fake Ebola symptoms to receive care they would not otherwise receive because of lack of insurance or other financial considerations. They may assume if they can be admitted under the guise of Ebola infection, then other ailments they have will be treated.
Operators that handle 911 calls in some states now screen for possible Ebola infections, so if you call 911 you can expect to be asked a series of questions if they are screening for infections. First responders need to know what level of protection is needed when they respond to emergencies. Will this help control the infection, too early to tell of course, but every bit helps. However, it will slow the process down somewhat. You can expect that eventually all 911 operators will use some sort of screening process.
Because It Looks Like Ebola Does Not Mean It Is
Flu season is nearly upon us, so thousands of people will be walking around with fevers, body aches and maybe even stomach upsets. The flu symptoms mimic that of Ebola in the early stages so hospitals to err on the side of caution will be quarantining people until tests come back in some if not many cases if that person has high risk factors in their life. This means that health care workers will be pushed to their limits. Therefore, you may not receive care for simple ailments and so you may have to take care of them yourself in some cases. Hospitals will triage in order of importance, so you may not be able to see a doctor or even a nurse during your visit.
Public transportation may be disrupted if there is an outbreak and you really do not want to be on buses or trains anyway if it can be avoided. Look for other ways of getting around your city or town so you can avoid crowded public transportation.
In Chicago over the weekend, a person walked into a health clinic showing signs of the virus, so you have to assume this person may have used public streets and/or public transportation to get to the clinic and there is no information regarding this person or even if they are infected at this time. The person merely had the symptoms.
There will be thousands of people showing the same symptoms this time of year and this may create chaos in hospitals and doctor offices.
There is no question that schools and daycare centers will be affected. It is obvious that hospitals are not prepared for the outbreak, but this does not mean the hospitals are at fault. It simply means they have to learn as they go, because they have never had dealt with this type of situation before, but this does make for a very dangerous situation.
Schools of course are not able to deal with any type of medical emergency nor are daycare centers. You may have to rethink how you do certain things and be prepared to have schools shutdown and daycare centers as well.
Playgrounds may be danger zones if there is an outbreak so your schedules will have to be adjusted. There are things in your life that will have to change if there is an outbreak in your state or community. This does not mean you will be infected with the virus, but your daily routines will have to change and change quickly.
The New Normal Is Upon Us
The faster you adjust the safer you and your family will be. Look ahead and be prepared for isolation and this means you need essentials on hand. Be prepared when the daycare centers turns children away or the school calls and tells you the school is closing for a week for decontamination or because of a disease outbreak. The disease does not have to be Ebola, there are other viruses and diseases out there as well.
You have to change your thinking because of Ebola and life from this point forward will always be different from what it was just a few short months ago. Get ready for it.