As I write, news is just breaking that New York City diagnosed its first (and hopefully only) case of Ebola. It’s a scary thought: in one of America’s most densely populated metropolitan centers, someone on the verge of becoming infectious roamed the city just last night.
But while specialists retrace Dr. Craig Spencer’s steps in New York, I put a question to University students: have you had your flu shot? New York Times columnist Frank Bruni asked the same question last week, when he argued that we are fixating on a relatively remote threat (Ebola) while ignoring our basic public health needs.
I argue a similar point in the context of our University community. The prominence and sheer scale of the Ebola epidemic should encourage the international community to take action in West Africa. But back here in America, it should also spur communities to self-reflect: what public health threats must we address? If University students fear for their personal well-being, certainly safe sex, protection from assault, and responsible alcohol consumption take precedence over the remote threat of Ebola. I argue that two threats in particular — one infectious, one noninfectious — are overlooked: the flu and depression.
Let us look at the numbers. In 2011, the most recent year in which comprehensive public health data is available, there were 53,826 influenza- and pneumonia-related deaths. For suicide, 39,518 were lost.By contrast, only one person in America has died from Ebola (Thomas Eric Duncan, who originally contracted the disease in Liberia). Our Ebola numbers reflect the Centers for Disease Control’s conclusion that “Ebola poses no substantial risk to the U.S. general population.” Rather, it would seem our greatest health threats are those we understand well but fail to take action against.
The American panic over Ebola — the endless news coverage, the anecdotal evidence, the misinformation — is disproportionate to the threat. The American Psychological Association, for one, has taken notice: they just released an article titled “Managing your fear about Ebola.”Their recommendation? Keep your perspective intact and stay healthy through diet, exercise, and hand-washing.
The Ebola panic is also present in our well-educated college bubble. I was working in the emergency room the night the University Medical Center had its first potential Ebola case (a false alarm). “I’m 99% sure the test will be positive,” one nurse said to me, eyeing the room where we’d isolated the patient. Even then, feet away from our Ebola suspect, her certainty seemed inappropriate — hadn’t there been dozens of false alarms in the United States? I also see the irrational fear among students. “No,” I recently clarified to a friend after class, “the U.Va. hospital is not keeping any secret Ebola patients.” But have you had your flu shot?
Last week, the University held its annual all-day flu shot clinic, providing free shots for students on the University Aetna health plan, and $23 shots for anyone else. “We never know how pervasive the flu season will be, which is why we encourage the best method of prevention, which is to get a flu shot and to follow the guidelines for healthy behaviors,” said Sandra Murray, Student Health’s associate director of administration and director of nursing.
As generally healthy young adults, students need not be concerned about dying from the flu (people younger than 5, older than 65, or pregnant are most at risk).Still, influenza can cause severe vomiting and diarrhea, dehydration, difficulty breathing, confusion, and serious complications for anyone with a pre-existing illness. Concerning your personal health, the flu poses a much higher risk to safety and well-being than Ebola. And that justifies a change in attitude.
But unfortunately, students face a risk of death from another illness: depression. According to the state’s chief medical examiner, Virginia’s suicide numbers have gradually risen since 2003. And in the most recent year for which data is available (2011), Virginia had 1,067 self-inflicted deaths — our highest suicide rate in 13 years.
Suicide is commonly cited as the second most common cause of death among college-aged students, even outnumbering alcohol-related deaths (vehicle accidents are the top cause). We are reminded of this by the recent suicide of second-year student Connor Cormier. Here, statistics and anecdotes converge on the same conclusion: as a University or state-level public health issue, depression and suicide deserve greater attention and concern than Ebola.
Irrational fear has no place in the public health arena. Certainly, the Ebola outbreak is an international emergency; West Africa deserves vastly more attention and resources than it has been receiving (particularly from wealthy Western countries with the means to help). But here in Charlottesville, Virginia, it is not Ebola but rather the familiar, banal risks — the flu, sexually transmitted diseases and anxiety — that pose the most immediate threats to our personal health.
George Knaysi is an Opinion Columnist for The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at g.knaysi@cavalierdaily.com.
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