You may have heard the news recently that Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg made a $25 million donation to Ebola relief efforts. Most of us don’t have that kind of money sitting around to donate, even to important causes, but Facebook wants us to check our metaphorical couch cushions and make our own donations to help treat Ebola patients in western Africa, and to prevent the disease from spreading further. [More]
Ebola
After You Take Off Your Sexy Ebola Containment Costume, Donate A Real One
By 10.30.14
Sure, Ebola containment suits are apparently a popular Halloween costume this year. We get it: the costume is easy to put together, timely, and some people find it amusing. Yet when they take off their fake hazmat suits (or their incredibly fake sexy hazmat suits) will any of the people wearing this costume think about the health care workers in western Africa whose lives depend on the real versions of these suits? [More]
Lysol Buys Google Search Ads To Take Advantage Of Ebola Panic
By 10.29.14
A few weeks ago, we shared the not-at-all-surprising news that Americans are buying more cleaning supplies, especially disinfectants, than we normally do at this time of year. We can partly credit the Ebola virus. While cleanliness is rarely a bad thing and Ebola is a terrifying disease, we do have to give some side-eye to Lysol for buying ads on Google searches about Ebola. [More]
Cleaning Supply Sales Are Up As Americans Freak Out Over Ebola
By 10.17.14
Ebola is a terrifying disease affecting parts of Western Africa right now, and some health care workers who cared for an infected visitor to Dallas from Liberia without being provided proper infection control equipment are being treated or quarantined for the disease. Naturally, this means that it is time for a nationwide freakout wherein we stock up on disinfectants and treat everyone with suspicion. [More]
FDA Going After Companies Offering Unapproved Ebola Medications
By 10.16.14
While the country is watching the news of every new Ebola case very closely, the federal government doesn’t want the worrying to get so out of hand that people start looking for medications to prevent or treat Ebola. Since there are currently none approved by the Food and Drug Administration, the government is already cracking down on a handful of companies promising to provide relief from Ebola. [More]
Company Touts “Ebola Containment Suit” As Literally The Most “Viral” Costume This Halloween
By 10.14.14
Sometimes I like to think that just once there will be a tragic situation that won’t lead to someone trying to make a buck off a serious situation. But hey, it’s Halloween, when sensitivity to world events apparently goes out the window. So why not charge people $79.99 to dress up in an “Ebola Containment Suit”? [More]
Here’s What It Looks Like After Someone Shouts “I Have Ebola, You’re All Screwed!” On A Plane
By 10.10.14
You know the saying about how you should never yell “Fire!” in a theater? Let’s bring that maxim up to date, and amend it to add that you should also refrain from shouting, “I have Ebola, you’re all screwed!” on an airplane. Because that will result in the hazardous materials folks showing up and generally spoiling an entire planeful of people’s plans for an uneventful flight. [More]
