Communicable Diseases

Running Head: Communicable diseases

Communicable Diseases
Name
High School
Course
Teacher
Date
Communicable Diseases
While people with communicable diseases such as tuberculosis, influenza, Ebola and the H1N1 virus do pose a health hazard to the rest of the general population, it is quite unfair and appalling how they are treated in the pretext of trying to control the spread of these diseases. Due to the fact that communicable diseases are usually spread through physical contact or coming into close contact with an infected person, extreme measures have been adopted by public officials and health professionals as a way of containing the spread of communicable diseases. These measures usually have the effect of leaving the affected parties feeling as if they are less human. (Coleman, Reis, Crosier 2007)
As a fact of reality, at times such measures may be justified, but a little bit more concern and empathy in dealing with the affected would go a long way to show that just because they are ill, they are not less human. They should be made to understand that they are facing a situation which could have happened to anyone at any given point in time. It is important for these individuals to be provided with adequate psychological counseling to help them cope with their situation at such times. (Coleman, Reis, Crosier 2007)
News about communicable diseases usually creates panic to the general public due to the fear instilled by lack of information and a sensational media that is mainly out to create eye grabbing headlines. For example, a general announcement by the government about an outbreak of a transmissible disease will in a few days have spread into something more malicious and sinister with a lot of uninformed propaganda being spread through the internet, television and newspapers.
Soon an, us against them mentality, will be adopted by the general majority who are not infected and a public outcry will follows with calls for the infected to be sent off to quarantine camps away from the healthy public. There after the government in order to pacify a panic stricken public will resort to the exact same measures being demanded, putting those affected into quarantines that are at times completely cut off from the outside world, contact being allowed with only the medical staff who handle them. (Federal Office of Public Health, Switzerland, 2006)
Such measure have been known to result in massive psychological and emotional stress as most these in...