Keep Calm and Help.

Remember when we as a profession said to keep calm about Ebola?  This is your friendly reminder to listen next time, because you'll remember this time.  We as a profession made statements regarding relative risk and recovery potential, and all came to pass.  There are no active Ebola infections in the US.  There is no widespread disease afflicting the masses here.  Everything the profession predicted was correct.  All is well...here.

We should be frenzied about Ebola, but not because we think there will be a massive outbreak in the US.  We as a populous should be frenzied because there is currently a panic-worthy situation particularly in Sierra Leone, whose cases are accelerating at the fastest pace yet.  We as a profession are desperately trying to communicate that.  Thousands of people are in immediate danger from Ebola.  None of those people reside in a Western country. Millions of people have the personal or political resources to solve this problem for those thousands...and the overwhelming majority live in Western countries.  That would be you, reader.  You are not in a position of danger, but you are in a position to help.  As discussed yesterday, the keys to good clinical outcomes for Ebola are low tech but labor intensive.  Every one of us in Western countries are in a position to help.  Give a small donation, for a little in abundance is a lot (note especially Google's 1 Today campaign, where they match each $1 with an additional  $2).  Contact your members of Congress, and support those who have their priorities straight on this matter.  Volunteer to go abroad yourself.  Submit an idea for how to approach this problem (socially, technically, medically, via engineering, whatever) to USAID.  Discuss this outbreak rationally and practically.  Trust my profession-we do not benefit in any way from misleading or endangering you.    

Some Resources to Explore:

USAID Grand Challenge Idea Submission

Google OneDay Initiative (donations go to MSF, PIH, and IRC):


Facebook's Newsfeed Donation Drive (donations go to  IMC, Save the Children, or RedCross/Red Crescent)


MSF ("Doctors Without Borders"), to Donate or Work


Partners in Health, to Donate or Work

To paraphrase the tee shirts: Keep Calm and Help.