by Tunji Andrews
Emirates has joined airlines such as Nigeria’s Arik in suspending flights to West African countries heavily hit by the Ebola epidemic as the Dubai carrier announced that it was from Saturday suspending flights to Guinea until further notice.
Nigeria’s Arik Air, which flies to a number of international destinations including London, last week, suspended flights to Liberia and Sierra Leone following the arrival and later death in Nigeria of a Liberian national infected with the deadly disease. Pan-African airline Asky was suspended by Nigeria’s civil aviation authorities for bringing the man into the country’s largest city Lagos.
However, although the International airlines association (IATA) and the World Health Organization advised airlines and international airports to health-screen passengers on flights from West Africa, it said it was not recommending travel restrictions or border closures adding that there would be a low risk to other passengers if an infected person flew.
Regardless of the assurance, Emirates, which does not fly to either Liberia or Sierra Leone, went on with its suspension of flights saying “the safety of our passengers and crew is of the highest priority and will not be compromised”. The company added that further actions in connection with the outbreak would be “guided by the advice and updates from the government and international health authorities.”
The Ebola outbreak, which began in Guinea has spread to Liberia and Sierra Leone killing more than 700 and creating huge health and socio-economic crises in those countries as well as great panic around the world especially Nigeria where a Liberian patient travelled to and died in the country’s largest city and economic hub Lagos. Health workers are still struggling to control the spread of the virus which is the deadliest the world has faced in decades
The potential arrival of individuals unknowingly infected with Ebola from these 4 West African countries poses a MAJOR public health threat to our countries, and represents an unnecessary risk to the lives of all people. This is all very easily preventable by banning commercial flights to/from Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Nigeria until the outbreak has completely subsided (with the exception of medical teams, provisions, and aid).
Whatever economic costs may be associated with temporarily banning travel to and from this area will be far outweighed by the virtual shutdown of the American or European economy should infections start occurring here. No one will want to travel, use public transportation, go out to eat, or possibly even handle money due to the fear, legitimate or not, that the virus can exist on inanimate objects if exposed to bodily fluids.
The argument for keeping these air routes open is incredibly short-sighted and fails to recognize that people are not exactly rational actors when it comes to the potential of a seriously lethal epidemic occurring. And nor should they be, it is a natural survival instinct to prepare for the worst when one’s life is in danger as it would be in this scenario. The idea that we can merely contain this virus through quarantine of infected individuals after they’ve arrived here overlooks the fact that even healthcare professionals are not completely aware of the ways this virus can be transmitted, how long it can survive outside the human body on inanimate objects, or whether or not it has the capability to adapt and evolve in a very short time period opening the door to a potential airborne pathogen should this outbreak go on for too long.
Beyond that, at the most fundamental level, the efforts to assuage fear about Ebola by claiming that it is very difficult to catch fails to recognize that even if it is indeed difficult to catch, once you are infected, however small the probability, you are faced with the overwhelming reality that your life is likely over and that the way in which you die will be very swift and truly horrific for you and those around you.
Allowing these flights to continue throughout this outbreak is a completely unnecessary risk given the amount of unknowns that exist with this extremely dangerous virus. The consequences are simply too grave to continue depending on our airport and healthcare workers to risk their lives and try to prevent the spread of Ebola within a country’s borders. It is not fair to them, and it is not fair to us.
C.M