Keeping Volunteer's Rights in Mind

          In wake of the recent “crisis” our country has had on its hands with the Ebola Virus, some of us have been on edge and hostile towards how the Government is handling things. Yes, Ebola has taken nearly 5000 lives in 2014(1 of which from within the United States), but we need to remember that Africa is far less developed than the United States, and in Liberia specifically, they reportedly have only a few dozen doctors for their population of about 4 million. That is incredibly low, and it is no surprise to me that in such an underdeveloped country Ebola has spread so fast and begun to take so many lives.

           Ever since Ebola has landed in the United States, the media seems to be over blowing its severity and causing a bit of panic in our people and perhaps in our politicians. A nurse was recently quarantined in New Jersey for days after returning from West Africa, during which time she was sealed in a tent in isolation without any evidence of being sick. While I do commend the intentions the state’s governor had with this policy, forcibly quarantining these volunteers is too radical.

          That is exactly why we need the government to create standards for all states to follow, so we can be sure that no person’s rights are at risk. Along with that, any volunteers wishing to give aid should first be subjected to a retraining on the latest guidelines regarding prevention of the virus.

          Ebola is not as infectious as all of the recent commotion suggests it is, but I strongly feel that requiring volunteers to agree to isolate themselves in the comfort of their home for a few weeks after returning would be wise and in everyone’s best interests. This way prevents any state from causing any future outrages, and also ensures that anyone who is unknowingly carrying the virus does not have as large a chance to spread it around.

          I don’t personally believe that there is any vast risk that we will all meet our end because of this, but I would argue that having good measures for prevention set by the government is the next best thing from a cure.