On Wednesday, the loved ones of Thomas Eric Duncan faced the outcome they’d been dreading in the two weeks since they first suspected he had Ebola: His body had succumbed to the virus. Duncan became the first Ebola victim to die on U.S. soil.
But a day later, Dallas received a rare bit of good news in the Ebola fight: Dallas County sheriff’s deputy Michael Monnig was Ebola-free, and, as far as we know, the deadly virus continues to be isolated.
And the nation seems closer to walking the right side of the line between common-sense caution and hysteria. We all better understand the challenges Ebola brings and how we should best respond to them.
The Obama administration’s ordering of fever screening at the five U.S. airports that handle the most international arrivals is prudent but should be expanded. We echo calls from Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and House Homeland Security Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Austin, to include Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport and other prominent points of international entry.
Closer to home — and to the actual Ebola threat — hospitals are changing protocols to better improve patient care and communication. Nowhere is this more true than at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, where Duncan was diagnosed and treated.
There will doubtless be more lessons to learn — but only if officials are quick in disclosing mistakes and candid in sharing how to prevent similar errors in the future. Those are necessary steps to ensure public safety — and restore public trust.
Ebola is a dangerous but manageable virus if common-sense protocols are strictly followed. With each passing day, the probability of the Ebola threat widening in Dallas sharply diminishes.
We hope the lessons learned from Duncan’s death will never further be tested on these shores. However, statistics say otherwise — and an honest acknowledgment of what we got right and wrong in this case could save lives in the future.
