Why are people saying that the Ebola Virus is not as transmittable as suggested?
~~A lot of diseases can survive in the air or on surfaces for long periods of time.~~ ~~Ebola can't. Unless you directly get some of an infected person's bodily fluids inside you, you're extremely unlikely to contract it.~~ ~~So while Ebola is super deadly, it's not really all that contagious, wh…
The Short Answer
~~A lot of diseases can survive in the air or on surfaces for long periods of time.~~ ~~Ebola can't. Unless you directly get some of an infected person's bodily fluids inside you, you're extremely unlikely to contract it.~~ ~~So while Ebola is super deadly, it's not really all that contagious, when compared to most other viruses we worry about.~~ It would appear I'm wrong about this (thanks /u/zombieJesus27); Ebola actually *can* survive on surfaces. Upon further reading though, I still think zombieJesus may have slightly overstated his case. Yes, it's true that Ebola doesn't insta-die when you take it outside of the body (although it still cannot survive in air), but it *is* meaningfully less virulent than the sort of virus we'd be really worried about spreading like crazy through a sanitary first world country. Bottom line: don't worry too much. But also don't spread misinformation like I accidentally did earlier.
Analysis
Key Concepts: Ebola, survive, surfaces
This explanation focuses on ebola, survive, surfaces and spans 152 words across 6 sentences. At 111% above the average Biology explanation (72 words), this is one of the more thorough answers in this category, reflecting the complexity of the underlying question.
What This Answer Covers
The explanation opens with: “~~A lot of diseases can survive in the air or on surfaces for long periods of time.~~ ~~Ebola can't.” It then elaborates by presenting a contrasting perspective, ultimately building toward a complete picture across 6 connected points.
How This Compares in Biology
Ranked #26 of 500 Biology questions by answer depth (top 6%). This places it in the comprehensive tier — the top quarter of most thoroughly answered questions. Questions at this depth typically involve multi-faceted topics requiring nuanced explanation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a simple explanation for why people saying that the ebola virus is not as transmittable as suggested?
~~A lot of diseases can survive in the air or on surfaces for long periods of time.~~ ~~Ebola can't. Unless you directly get some of an infected person's bodily fluids inside you, you're extremely unlikely to contract it.~~ ~~So while Ebola is super…
How detailed is this explanation compared to similar Biology questions?
This is one of the most thorough answer at 152 words, ranked #26 of 500 Biology questions by depth. The key concepts covered are ebola, survive, surfaces.
What approach does this answer take to explain people saying that the ebola virus is not as transmittable a?
The explanation uses contrasting perspectives across 152 words. It is categorized under Biology and addresses the question through 1 analytical lens.