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Cops tossing their protective gear into a public trash can is a horrible example of failure to educate, so is the movement to stop vaccinating our children. As Andy Borowitz half-jokingly observes, Some Fear Ebola Outbreak Could Make Nation Turn to Science. 

Often our attitudes towards protecting ourselves and others from infectious diseases are too cavalier, possibly because it has been a long time since we've been truly frightened about a raging epidemic. Maybe it's a matter of human arrogance. 

Experience, especially painful experience, is a great educator. Without that, we need a comprehensive plan. We need a top-down approach to sharing knowledge; we do need to turn to science and education. 

Speaking of science, the New Yorker has a serious article on the subject by Richard Preston, The Ebola Wars: How genomics research can help contain the outbreak. The author notes that it may only take one viral particle to kill a person:

Excerpt: 

The virus is extremely infectious. Experiments suggest that if one particle of Ebola enters a person’s bloodstream it can cause a fatal infection. This may explain why many of the medical workers who came down with Ebola couldn’t remember making any mistakes that might have exposed them. One common route of entry is thought to be the wet membrane on the inner surface of the eyelid, which a person might touch with a contaminated fingertip. The virus is believed to be transmitted, in particular, through contact with sweat and blood, which contain high concentrations of Ebola particles. People with Ebola sweat profusely, and in some instances they have internal hemorrhages, along with effusions of vomit and diarrhea containing blood. The Ebola Wars: How genomics research can help contain the outbreak.

In the post below, ZeroHedge shows pictures from The Daily Mail of the NY cops' blunder in disgarding their potentially contaminated trash.  This episode is why I never understood the logic behind sending our military troops to West Africa to fight Ebola.  

NYPD Stunner: Cops Exit Ebola Victim Apartment, Dump Gloves, Masks In Sidewalk Trash Can

By Zero Hedge

If there was one theme from last night's Cuomo/De Blasio Ebola press conference it was 'how everyone has been preparing for months' for Ebola. We can all be reassured, right? Wrong! As The Daily Mail reports (and these stunning photos show), the police officers involved in securing Dr. Spencer tossed their gloves, masks and the caution tape used to block off access to his apartment in a public trash can.

Not just any trash can, but one on a public street corner...

While it is unclear whether the police entered the apartment (which is now locked down and isolated), some are suggesting that for the sake of safety - not to mention public sanity - it would have made sense to discard of these masks and gloves and tape in a biohazard bag.

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Seems like not everyone has been preparing for months (since August) for Ebola... No matter, we are all assured by Cuomo's reassuring words that Ebola is very hard to catch (just don't tell the hundreds of healthcare workers who have been infected despite their precautions).