There’s an outbreak of Ebola fear and misperception in the US, according to a new poll from the Harvard School of Public Health, via Mother Jones.
40 percent of Americans fear an Ebola outbreak in the US
The nationally representative Harvard School of Public Health poll found that four in ten adults are worried about a large outbreak in the US, 26 percent are concerned that someone in their immediate family may get contract Ebola over the next year, and 68 percent of respondents said they believe Ebola can spread easily.
The poll also found that there was a link between education and fear, with less educated people reporting more fear about the deadly virus.
The World Health Organization and US Centers for Disease Control all point out that the chance of Ebola spreading through America or any other developed country is very slim, since Ebola outbreaks occur in places with a poor health infrastructure and limited resources to stop the spread.
Unlike air-borne illnesses, Ebola is also difficult to contract. The virus spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of a symptomatic person.
By Julia Belluz and Alex Ward
