Science, Faith and Ebola

I’m a pastor now, but in my first career I was a scientist.  My bachelor's degree is in biochemistry and my master's is in food science. Back in my biochemistry days, the HIV virus was just beginning to be researched as tens of thousands of people were beginning to die from the disease that is caused by the HIV virus which came to be known as AIDS. At that time, I took a number of classes, attended a bunch of seminars and participated in a number of workshops to learn about deadly viruses including both HIV and Ebola. With that background, added to my background now as a pastor who cares deeply for my community, I felt the need to write about Ebola for the people of my congregation and was encouraged to pass it on further.  Rational, calm, fact-based information and leadership seems to be in short supply here in Maine in light of the irrational decision of the Strong school board to suspend a teacher who had simply visited the city of Dallas at a time Thomas Eric Duncan was in the hospital there.  Added to that is the growing hysteria surrounding the return of Kaci Hickox, the courageous, asymptomatic nurse who volunteered to treat people in West Africa, to her home in Fort Kent, Maine.

The science on Ebola, how it is transmitted and how it works is well researched and VERY clear. It has been well researched and dealt with for almost 40 years. ONLY a person showing symptoms can

transmit the virus and the virus can ONLY be transmitted through bodily fluids. The very first symptom that shows up in an infected person is a fever. Since a fever is obviously not a bodily fluid, you can't get Ebola from someone who is only showing that first symptom. To get Ebola you must get a symptomatic (that is, a person with a fever) person's bodily fluids (blood, semen, vomit or diarrhea) to come into direct contact with your bodily fluids. Health professionals, like this courageous nurse who is NOT showing a fever and the doctor in New York who did begin to show a fever, who have been treating Ebola patients in West Africa know to monitor their temperature several times a day and call for help and get isolated as soon as they should happen to show a fever but BEFORE they begin producing infectious bodily fluids.

We unfortunately live in a world where some news organizations seek ratings and some politicians seek political points through the use of fear. For those irresponsible people, science is often vilified or viewed as opinion rather than fact. The science around Ebola, I assure you, is based in fact and this particular science is again, VERY well known. I want to share my education and experience with you on this so that you will not worry unnecessarily or inadvertently fuel the unwarranted, growing hysteria. I would be happy to have this courageous nurse worship with us, give her a hug, sit down with her to eat and buy her lunch to thank her for her work caring for our brothers and sisters in West Africa in their moment of critical need. I would not worry about the chance of infection even for the tiniest fraction of a second, simply because there is no chance for infection!

As Christians, we are not a people of fear. We are a people of courage, hope, service and compassion. We are a people who value all of God's gifts including the wisdom and experience of scientists and health professionals who dedicate their lives to bringing health and healing to our world. May we all embrace the facts in this situation, reject irresponsible fear mongering, pray for those who are genuinely suffering, those courageously treating the suffering and give thanks to God for those willing to share their gifts with the world.