The Ebola epidemic in West Africa is awful and horrifying. But in the past couple weeks, most of the media and public’s attention have gone toward containing an epidemic in the US that most likely won’t happen.
The difference between Ebola in the US and West Africa, in one chart
The difference, as this chart from Vox’s Joss Fong shows, is America is well-equipped to handle Ebola, while the West African countries suffering the most are not. The United States has way more doctors per capita than any of the countries struggling to contain Ebola outbreaks.
This is why the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is so confident it can contain Ebola in the US to just a few cases. With such a large health-care system, it’s much easier to monitor and quarantine anyone exposed to Ebola — and get them the treatment they need before they infect anyone else.
To learn more about Ebola, read Vox’s card stack.
