It’s getting worse, not better. Ebola in the Congo is infecting people in the double digits daily. Aid workers aren’t able to trace the route of Ebola from patient to patient, and are under attack from the local violence (which is also scaring away people who need treatment, further spreading Ebola). And their projections must be bad, because they’re not sharing them—it’s just for “planning purposes”. If it wasn’t Ebola, so deadly and contagious, aid workers would have abandoned their efforts already, but they’re working to ultimately keep the world safe from Ebola. Their sacrifice is the good news, because for now, it’s still contained, and not an international crisis. But vigilance is still needed—the situation is barely under control.
People can still travel to the Congo, with or without a tour company. There are warnings, and some travel restrictions, but with people moving around and running from violence, it wouldn’t be impossible for a tourist to unknowingly become exposed to Ebola before getting back on a plane, heading through pit stops in Europe and back to the US. Travel is more popular than ever, especially if there’s a good adventure and Instagram story to be had, so all travelers need to be wary. Unfortunately, Ebola is another of the (already too many) viruses we need to watch out for at airports.
What you can do: stay safe by following travel restrictions, and maybe even changing plans until there’s more stability. In this case, the Ebola outbreak is near a border with major cities on the other side, so it’s an example to know the bigger picture when traveling. And take personal support—whether it’s an extra GPS tracker, immune system support (like colloidal silver), or just a metaphorical escape parachute/back-up plan.
Air travel may suddenly change for a wide region if Ebola bubbles up further, so plan ahead, and stay safe when you vacation abroad this year.
