(WASHINGTONPOST) — Ebola started as a faraway thing, and that was scary enough. Then it jumped to a Dallas hospital, where one man died and two nurses were infected. On Wednesday, Ebola took a different kind of leap — a psychological one — as concerns spiked nationally about how the threat of the virus might interfere with commerce, health and even daily routines.
As authorities disclosed that an infected nurse had taken a flight from Cleveland to Dallas one day before showing symptoms, Ebola moved closer to becoming the next great American panic — an anthrax or SARS for the social media age.
Across the country, workers and travelers took symbolic safety steps, wearing sanitary masks or lathering with hand sanitizer. Airline stocks fell as investors bet on a slowdown in travel due to Ebola concerns. Children living near Washington Dulles International Airport told a psychologist about their fears of contracting the disease.
