US Rep. Claims Travel Ban on West African Flights Will Only Increase Ebola Epidemic; WHO Says Air Travel Poses Low Risk of Ebola Transmission

By Stoyan Zaimov, Christian Post Reporter Thursday, October 16, 2014

A Los Angeles Fire Department Paramedic truck drives past a United Airlines plane from New York's JFK airport, that was diverted to a remote gate after landing at LAX, after a passenger on the flight exhibited flu-like symptoms, in Los Angeles, California, October 12, 2014. The passenger was later determined not be an Ebola threat after it was learned the passenger had been in South Africa, according to a Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman. | (Photo: Reuters/Jonathan Alcorn)

Congresswoman Gwen Moore, D-Wis., has addressed criticism toward the handling of Ebola cases by local and federal U.S. officials and said that despite Americans' fears, people from the affected West African countries should be allowed to continue to travel to the U.S.

"Understandably, many Americans have grown increasingly worried about the recent confirmed cases of Ebola within our country's borders. This response is certainly reasonable, and I share my constituents' concern, but it is important to ensure that our alarm about this virus doesn't lead to unreasonable and dangerous actions," Moore said in a statement.

She noted that Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Dr. Tom Frieden and his team are working to educate the public on transmission risks and safety protocols, following news that a second Texas nurse contracted the deadly virus.

"Unfortunately, many of my congressional colleagues have let their anxiety about this crisis dictate a panicked and perilous tone during a time when we need a cautious yet vigilant discussion," Moore added about suggestions from Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., that the U.S. ban international flights to the U.S. that are departing from Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, where over 4,493 people have died.

"This idea may seem like a quick fix but in reality, isolating West Africa will only exacerbate the epidemic in the region. Aside from being impractical, this reactionary strategy will force Ebola patients underground making it nearly impossible to track their movements, hinder the capacity for international healthcare workers to transport and administer critical aid, and erode the continent's fragile economy," Moore continued.

The congresswoman said that there is no "silver bullet" to address the Ebola crisis, and said that efforts should be focused on supporting the CDC instead of "inflaming" the situation.

Johnson argued earlier this week that not enough is being done to confront the threat of Ebola in the U.S., and called for the institution of travel bans to and from West Africa.

"You consider the nexus of Ebola, ISIS and a border that is not secure, our southern border. We better prepare ourselves to defend our border and secure it rapidly," Johnson said, according to News-Herald Media.

The World Health Organization, which is tracking the spread of the outbreak, said that all countries which report Ebola cases need to have a protocol with dealing with the situation, including an equipped isolation unit, a minimum stock of personal protective equipment, a case — management team trained in infection prevention and control, and a public communications strategy.

WHO has previously advised against issuing travel bans, noting that air-travel poses a low risk for Ebola transmissions.

"On the small chance that someone on the plane is sick with Ebola, the likelihood of other passengers and crew having contact with their body fluids is even smaller," the organization said in August.

"Usually when someone is sick with Ebola, they are so unwell that they cannot travel. WHO is therefore advising against travel bans to and from affected countries."

Meanwhile, in the U.S. it was revealed that nurse Amber Vinson had flown from Cleveland to Dallas a day before she was diagnosed with Ebola. The nurse told a health official that although she had a slight fever, the CDC advised her that she was OK, and couls safely travel on a plane.

CDC's Frieden told reporters that there is only a small possibility that other passengers on the flight could have been infected, since Vinson was not reported to have vomited on the flight and was not bleeding.