‘Fearbola’ spreading across United States

You may have seen the memes and sayings on Facebook and other social media, all talking about “Fearbola,” the fear of the spread of Ebola.

One doctor at Idaho State University said there are plans in place if it were to show up here, but it’s the knowledge of how you get it that needs to be spread around more.

While it’s highly unlikely Ebola will spread to our area, precautions should still be taken, so ISU is following Centers for Disease Control guidelines to prepare for the worst.

The way to fight Fearbola is by arming yourself with knowledge.

“Have they carried a body of somebody who has Ebola?” said Dr. Ron Solbrig. “Have they been exposed to somebody’s vomit, feces, blood or urine? If you haven’t done those things, you don’t have Ebola. It’s really simple.”

Solbrig said the university has put out an advisory to anyone planning to travel overseas. The university advises against going to countries with a large number of cases of Ebola, but there are ways to monitor yourself if you’ve think you’ve been exposed. If you do start showing signs, there are actions to take, including isolating yourself.

“Call the university health services, call the hospital,” said Solbrig. “Make arrangements for being seen at the emergency room.”

Solbrig said he’s concerned many students will be coming to the Student Health Clinic fearing the fever they have is Ebola, when he said it will likely end up being something like the flu.

Solbrig also said it’s not wise to be afraid someone has Ebola simply because of what they look like.

“We’ve got a very cross-cultural population of United States citizens who are every walk of life, every background,” he said. “So color of skin, color of hair doesn’t have anything to do with Ebola.”

There have only been three confirmed cases of Ebola in the United States. The confirmed cases in Africa are over 13,000.