New global problem facing America?

(Baonghean) - In general, researchers identify global issues based on four closely related contents: First, these are objective issues of development and can appear anywhere in the world; Second, these are issues related to people's lives, to the development of all humanity and to the fate of all nations; Third, these are issues that require focused resolution, because they threaten to destroy the basis of human existence; Finally, solving this issue requires maximum effort and coordination with all humanity.

Medical staff transport the body of an Ebola victim in Monrovia, Liberia. Source: AFP/VNA

Ebola – a global problem

Based on the above 4 bases, it can be determined that the Ebola virus epidemic is becoming one of the current global problems. According to information from the World Health Organization (WHO), the Ebola virus epidemic continues to increase in both the number of cases and the number of deaths in West African countries. More frighteningly, this virus has entered the United States, spread to Europe and has been marked by the "scythe" of death. According to WHO, in the past 6 days (from October 5 to October 10), there have been 306 new cases and 168 deaths. From December 2013 to October 10, 2014, the world has identified 8,470 cases, of which 4,076 have died. The United Nations Special Envoy on Ebola said that the number of Ebola infections is currently exponential. What the world is worried about is that there is still no feasible solution to stop this disaster. Scientists are also at a standstill because they have not found a cure for people infected with this virus. The information that makes anyone feel "chilled" is that the mortality rate of Ebola virus infection can be up to 90% if not treated promptly. This epidemic threatens to directly impact all aspects of political, economic and cultural life of countries. There may be more information like this: The Moroccan government proposed to postpone the organization of the African Cup of Nations football tournament, which was scheduled to take place in 2015 due to concerns about the spread of Ebola. Liberia postponed the plan to hold the Senate election, which was scheduled to take place next week to reduce the risk of voters spreading the "deadly" virus to a wider area...

At this time, Ebola has multiplied the fear even more, when security and military experts from the US and the UK warned that the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group could use the Ebola virus as a suicide biological weapon against the West. Thus, the Ebola virus could also "participate" in the complex of the most intense conflicts today.

America - "the rich are also... scared"!

The United States is considered one of the most tightly controlled "strongholds", with a series of security, customs, medical barriers... deployed at all border gates and airports, to protect this country from "standing out" of human disasters. However, on October 10, American public opinion was shocked when there was official information that in the land of the stars and stripes, there was a second patient infected with the Ebola virus. Both cases were identified at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas, Texas. The world media spread this information as one of the most terrible things that Americans have tried their best but still could not escape. In the two cases identified with the Ebola virus in the United States, the first case was Thomas Duncan, a Liberian national, who passed away on October 8. The second case is currently being kept anonymous, it is the medical staff who came into contact with Thomas Duncan. At least 10 people who came into contact with Mr. Duncan and 38 others who came into contact with the 10 people are being closely monitored for signs of infection. These cases are temporarily in “quarantine” and they must check their body temperature twice a day.

While the United States is actively conducting airstrikes to hunt down and destroy the Islamic State, the fear of being attacked by this force has long been taken into account. With extremely dangerous extremist "jihadists" who are always ready to "die for their cause", nothing is impossible. Security experts at the US Naval War College believe that terrorists will find a way to come into contact with patients infected with the Ebola virus. After carrying the "seed of death", these elements will turn themselves into "thunderbolts of death" to find the countries they want to attack. That concern is completely reasonable. Forbes magazine commented: "Terrorists who come into contact with the Ebola virus will become carriers of the disease. In the current context of terrorism, it is likely that IS will use its own rebels to spread the disease."

Because of the above concerns, since October 11, airports in the US have begun to monitor and quarantine passengers to prevent the Ebola epidemic from spreading from West Africa to the US. In particular, inspection staff will "take special care" of passengers coming from Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea - the 3 West African countries most heavily infected with the epidemic. Moreover, the US has "blocked" any direct flights from the 3 countries of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.

However, American citizens still cannot rest assured. To “test” the reliability of the authorities, many Americans have pretended to be patients with symptoms similar to Ebola and come to the hospital emergency room to “witness” the response measures of the domestic health system. But these are only efforts to ease the heavy insecurity at the moment. Because at this time, the level of the US escalating attacks to destroy the Islamic State forces is also proportional to the risk of being retaliated with the Ebola virus.

Chi Linh Son