The great American Ebola freakout of 2014 seems hardly warranted and only beneficial to those media outlets whose ratings are boosted by their own misleading and damaging coverage of the problem.

What we know right now is that personal protective equipment was distributed and used to treat Duncan; however even with the best intentions, accidents can happen.

For me, what is so ruthless about Ebola in particular, is the way it forces victims to anticipate death, be ostracized and feared and remain void of human touch and personal connection. My test results came back negative for Ebola. I had never been happier to have Malaria.

My prayers also with the families dealing with the deadly disease. At the same time, I must contrast that with the complete lack of national political will to deal with a very real and present pandemic: the public health crisis of gun violence.