Truly, I don't understand why officials and the media continue to say Ebola is no big deal. I have done lots of research on the virus since I read Hot Zone when it was first published and became interested in the subject. Ebola IS a big deal. EVERY published research paper I have read says it is seriously contagious. Even the CDC (who keeps telling us it’s hard to catch) keeps Ebola in their very highest containment level Bio Safety Level 4. It doesn't get higher. This is their description of the safety level from the CDC website.

BSL-4 builds upon the containment requirements of BSL-3 and is the highest level of biological safety. There are a small number of BSL-4 labs in the United States and around the world. The microbes in a BSL-4 lab are dangerous and exotic, posing a high risk of aerosol-transmitted infections. Infections caused by these microbes are frequently fatal and without treatment or vaccines. Two examples of microbes worked with in a BSL-4 laboratory include Ebola and Marburg viruses.
So if the CDC plays with Ebola in the most extremely sealed off and contained labs, wearing multiple layers of protection and positive pressure protective suits designed for viruses that pose a "high risk of aerosol-transmitted infections", why do they keep telling us it’s no big deal? That people can't catch it unless they lick an infected person. They are full of shit, that's why.

They are mishandling this situation. The officials extreme incompetence will lead to more infections. They are so singularly focused on making the public believe Ebola is a minor issue that they are actually risking more people's lives.

While I believe there is no need for the country to panic, I do whole-heartily believe they should be treating this infection with a little more pep-in-their-step.