Pew Research just released a poll on American opinion about the risk posed by ebola and their confidence in the government's handling of the matter. The results indicate that panic and hysteria has not gripped most people. Asked about their fear that they or a member of their family might be at risk of contracting the disease only 11% were very concerned with another 21% being somewhat concerned. 2/3 do not perceive it as a serious threat. On the issue of confidence in the government's ability to manage the problem opinion is a bit more mixed but 58% expressed confidence.
President Obama announced plans to increase the level of screening of travelers for ebola infection both in West Africa and in the US. He is refusing to get caught up in Republican demands to ban all travelers coming to the US from those countries. The White House web site has posted a long and detailed list of the measures that the US government is taking both in West Africa and in the US to deal with the ebola epidemic.
A Japanese research team has announced the development of a test for ebola infection that can produce results in 30 minutes. If this turns out to be feasible to conduct on a mass scale, it could be a very useful tool in controlling the spread of the disease. Present screening involves looking for disease symptoms such as an elevated temperature. The present medical view is that people are not contagious between the time of initial infection and the emergence of symptoms. However, if a quick effective test for the presence of infection even without symptoms becomes available it should greatly improve the effectiveness of screening programs.