I hate to sound alarmist but I agree and worry, too. Here in the news, they are reporting that there is now a 2nd confirmed case and there is the possibility that the first man came into contact with at least 100 - 120 people before he was quarantined. If those people become sick, will they each go on to infect 100 more people before they're diagnosed and quarantined? Ebola spreads exponentially. How do you even begin to stop the spread once it gains ground here?

Other reports I've heard on the news state that initially, when the man arrived at the hospital with symptoms, his travel history was taken but not passed on to the doctors treating him. He was given an antibiotic and allowed to go home. We assume our medical workers are trained and know what they're doing but mistakes and miscommunication still happen.

As far as the level of sanitation in this country is concerned, I'm thinking we may be far ahead of other places in the world but....employees still show up at work when they're sick, parents still drop off their kids at day care and schools when they're sick. Often, when I visit the ladies' room anywhere, I see people using the facilities and walking out without washing their hands - some going back to the kitchen to prepare food. I've seen pee and feces on toilet seats and on the floor of the stall. In the news today, there was an unrelated story about parents who changed their baby's diaper on the top of a restaurant table. I'm sure someone came along and sat down at that same table, never giving any thought to the germs or bodily fluids left on that table top. There are so many opportunities for this disease to spread that it's very scary to me.

When I first heard stories of Ebola in Africa, I swore that if this disease ever hit the US that I'd be looking for another job where kids couldn't poop, pee or puke on me, my furniture or my rugs. I'm doing some serious thinking and will watch what happens carefully. How many times have we all heard, "Oh, don't worry. He's just teething..."?

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