The world is dealing with the largest ebola outbreak in history. It has infected 8,033 people and caused 3,865 tragic deaths. There is no cure or approved treatment, and it is a horrible, vicious way to go out. But if you’re losing sleep about contracting it here in Atlanta, you’re worried about the wrong things. To put it in perspective, seasonal influenza kills between 250,000 and 500,000 people around the world on any given year, and you may not have even bothered to get a flu shot this year. The hysterical fear-mongering permeating media outlets right now isn’t doing anyone any favors. We set the story straight with info about the world’s most talked-about virus.

Where did ebola come from?

Ebola was discovered in 1976 near the now ominously named Ebola River in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Since then, it has reared its ugly head throughout Africa on several occasions. This is its first appearance in West Africa and is also the largest outbreak. There are five known species of ebolavirus, four of which have infected human beings. Bats are suspected to be the source, and outbreaks almost always start when a person comes in contact with an infected animal.

What are the symptoms and prognosis?

The symptoms of ebola are one of the main reasons the disease tends to get so much press. They sound like they come straight out of a horror movie: internal and external bleeding (from the mouth, eyes, nail beds, pretty much anywhere where blood could possibly escape), vomiting, fever, severe headache and fatigue, diarrhea (more blood), abdominal pain, bruising, skin rashes, and muscle pain — basically all of the awful things available. The incubation period is between two and 21 days after exposure, which is why they watch people who may have had contact for 21 days, even though you’d typically start showing signs around eight to 10 days after exposure.

The current strain of the virus has been reported to have a fatality rate of around 50 percent [edit: recently, the World Health Organization said the 50 percent estimate may be low and the correct figure could be closer to 70 percent], which is awful but better than the 80 to 90 percent rates seen in some previous outbreaks. The Food and Drug Administration has not approved any treatments or vaccines for ebola. That said, there is an experimental drug called ZMapp that seems to be helpful in some cases, and let’s face it, if you had ebola, you’d probably be willing to give it a try. The World Health Organization has suggested that blood from recovered ebola patients could contain antibodies that would help other patients, but that’s also unproven. There is a vaccine that has been shown to protect macaque monkeys from the virus, but it’s not clear whether it’ll help humans.

How do I protect myself from ebola?

This is important, so pay attention. You can’t catch ebola from breathing the same air as someone who has it. You can’t get it from water or from food (assuming you’re not going around eating bushmeat like monkeys and bats and if you are, there are a few things we need to talk about). It spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids (blood, urine, saliva, sweat, feces, vomit, semen, or breast milk) of someone who has ebola. That’s why several healthcare providers, such as the nurse in Spain, have contracted the virus; they’re in contact with patients’ blood and fluids regularly. It can also spread via needles or syringes, contaminated clothing or bedding, and infected animals. The virus can survive for several hours on surfaces such as doorknobs and countertops and for several days in room-temperature bodily fluids. People can’t spread it until they have symptoms and once someone recovers, they are no longer contagious.

As far as protecting yourself. Try not to go to countries where the virus is active. If you do, avoid contact with the bodily fluids of people who have the virus, don’t handle dead bodies, and don’t eat bushmeat. The CDC points out that the virus has been found in semen for up to three months, so reconsider sleeping with anyone who has recently recovered. If you aren’t planning to leave Atlanta, the best way to protect yourself is to go about your daily life and not spread misinformation.

How worried should I be?

Firstly, we should all be very worried for the people of West Africa. The situation is horrific. But if you’re talking about concern for your own personal safety, the answer is “not very.” Yes, one man, Thomas E. Duncan, traveled to Dallas from West Africa with the virus and subsequently died on American soil. And admittedly, that whole situation was handled in a way that did not exactly inspire confidence (he was sent home from his original hospital visit with antibiotics), but so far, none of the people he had contact with appear to be infected and the misstep seems to have illuminated some of the flaws in the system. The CDC points out that the “U.S. public health and medical systems have had prior experience with sporadic cases of diseases such as Ebola. In the past decade, the United States had five imported cases of Viral Hemorrhagic Fever diseases similar to Ebola. None resulted in any transmission in the United States.”

“We recognize that even a single case of Ebola in the United States

seems threatening, but the simple truth is that we do know

how to stop the spread of Ebola between people.” —Beth Bell

Director of the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases

But I heard that they’re starting to do screenings at Hartsfield-Jackson. Does that mean it’s in Atlanta?

No, it does not. Atlanta has Emory, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the busiest airport in the world, which throws some people into a flurry of conspiracy theories about how we’ll be the first city to have an outbreak. Remain calm. The brand-new screening procedures at the airport should make you feel better, not worse. Remember that guy we mentioned above — the one who cruised right into Dallas with ebola? Well, that showed that we needed to step our game up with travelers arriving from affected areas.

Together, Hartsfield-Jackson, JFK, O’Hare, Dulles, and Newark airports receive 94 percent of all travelers coming in from Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leon. For that reason, the CDC is sending staff to those airports to conduct additional screening for those passengers. Once off the plane, passengers arriving from those nations will be taken aside, observed for symptoms, and asked questions about possible ebola contact. Their temperatures will be taken with a non-contact thermometer. If they’re fevered or if ebola exposure is suspected based on their information, they’ll be taken to a CDC quarantine station for monitoring and further evaluation. If they are not, they’ll be sent along their way with some health information for self-monitoring. Before passengers even arrive in Atlanta, they will have gone through similar screenings as they left Africa.

The CDC is also working with the World Heath Organization to respond to the situation. One of the most important tools at their disposal is something called contact tracing, which involves monitoring everyone that an infected individual has had contact with for a period of 21 days. This video explains more…