5 Schools Freaking Out About Ebola Because They Don’t Realize Africa Is A Really Big Continent

Think Progress reports:

In the midst of Ebola panic in the Western world, some Americans are worried about schoolchildren coming into contact with people who have been in African countries thousands of miles away from the heart of the outbreak. 

For instance, at a school in New Burlington, New Jersey, two Rwandan students are staying at home due to other parents’ fear that they will infect other children with Ebola. Rwanda is as close to the Ebola outbreak as New York City is to Seattle.

In Hazlehurst, Mississippi, a school principal’s recent visit to Zambia has led to a lot of parents choosing to keep their kids at home. But Zambia is in Southern Africa, over 3,000 miles away from the Ebola outbreak — the same distance between New Hampshire and Los Angeles.

A school bus driver in Poplarville, Mississippi who recently visited Ghana is being prevented from returning to work. Meanwhile, in Pewaukee, Wisconsin, some parents kept their kids home when their school hosted two visitors from Uganda. And this phenomenon is not limited to the United States. A school in Worcestershire, England is under pressure to cancel an upcoming trip to Tanzania... Fox News’ Andrea Tantaros recently suggested that the people coming into the United States from Africa will seek medical care from witch doctors and practice Santeria.

-RW