Five Passengers Isolated in Boston After Showing Ebola-Like Symptoms

The flight was from the United Arab Emirates to Boston. The five had come from "Hajj," or pilgrimage.

They say it's not unusual to come back from Hajj with "a little cold." That sounds right -- anytime you mix with a large group of people, who are carrying germs you haven't grown antibodies to combat, you're probably going to be sick.

On the other hand: This is also the way outbreaks spread.

None of the five sick people had been traveling in West Africa where an outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus has already killed more than 3,000 people, according to Matthew Brelis, spokesman for Massport, which operates the airport. However, out of an abundance of caution, airport officials decided to isolate the sick passengers and evaluate their condition.

They have been isolated out of "an abundance of caution," which, once again, sounds like the basic minimal level of caution to me, not an "abundance" of it. And they're worrying me by continuing to insist that such basic, common-sense measures are "abundantly" cautious.

Now, it's good that none of the five have been to West Africa, but there are many Muslims in West Africa (especially Nigeria), and we can assume that some pilgrims from West Africa have been on Hajj, too.

posted by Ace at 05:16 PM

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