First published October 8th, 2014/updated Oct. 22nd

A humor columnist from the New Yorker magazine recently penned this headline: "Man Infected With Ebola Misinformation Through Casual Contact With Cable News".  While the current Ebola viral epidemic is nothing to laugh about-- it's causing a humanitarian disaster in several West African countries and has led to some 3,500 deaths as this first went to press-- the New Yorker headline makes a salient point about the panic that's taking hold of many otherwise rational people.

Constant news coverage of the crisis and histrionic headlines about risks of the virus getting "out of control" in Europe are helping to feed this panic, even though these sensationalist headlines are designed more to generate clicks and newspaper sales than to accurately reflect what's happening. 

In the midst of all this ambient paranoia about Ebola, and particularly in light of a Madrid-based nurse in Spain contracting the disease (a first in Europe), many travellers are feeling uneasy about heading abroad, even in Europe. If you're travelling to Paris or the rest of France, you may be asking yourself how safe it is to do so. Is Ebola currently more than a very marginal risk in France? 

The answer? A very solid no. Here's why: 

• There have been zero documented cases of Ebola transmission in France. One French healthcare worker in Liberia did contract the disease, and was successfully treated in France, but there have been no further cases since then. That fact alone should calm any nerves about travelling there.

• "But what if some cases have gone undetected?", you may be asking. The answer? That's a highly unlikely scenario. Ebola isn't a viral infection that hides easily. People afflicted with the disease experience symptoms that are exponentially worse than the flu, and are rarely able to care for themselves, so they are unlikely to be roaming the streets or riding the metro. Thankfully, moreover, Ebola isn't transmissible or contagious until patients begin experiencing symptoms, so it's impossible to get it from someone who isn't exhibiting any symptoms. 
• It's not an airborne disease. Even if someone had gone undetected and were theoretically riding next to you on a bus or in the metro, Ebola isn't transmitted through the air. Transmission requires direct contact between the bodily fluids of the sick person, and mucous membranes or blood of the other. This is why the vast majority of those who have contracted Ebola have been health care workers, family members caring for their loved ones, or people participating in traditional West African funeral rites in which the deceased person is touched. As viruses go, Ebola is highly infectious, but not easily transmissible.  
• The French government is on high alert for any imported cases of the disease, and has a strong emergency plan in place to cope with any potential cases. The French Ministry of Health notes on a dedicated information page on their website that the country's national health and sanitation institute (InVS) is closely monitoring the situation, and an emergency plan involving hospitals and health authorities, as well as airports and customs officials, has been firmly in place since March 2014. All visitors travelling to France from countries affected by the Ebola virus are being tested at the borders of their country of origin, and France also recently moved to screen travellers from the affected regions at airports in Paris. In addition,  French authorities have been distributing information leaflets relating to transmission risks and symptoms in airports and on flights. 
• The French healthcare and hospital system is one of the world's most advanced, and have been preparing for months for any possible cases. France is home to some of the globe's leading infectious disease and epidemiology specialists, so even if a few cases were imported (something that may indeed happen in the coming months due to the ubiquity of air travel), the risk of these isolated cases developing into a major health crisis in Paris or the rest of France is very low. The Health Ministry page specifies that in the case of the intake of a patient with Ebola, they would be placed in isolation units and treated with the utmost precautions. To crunch some numbers: France spends $3,997 per capita on healthcare; whereas in Liberia, a West African country where the Ebola epidemic has turned into a full-blown humanitarian disaster, healthcare expenditure per capita is a mere $88. 

Read related feature: Tips for staying safe and healthy in Paris 

But why aren't all-out travel bans in place? 

As in the US and the UK, some are calling for travel bans between France and the countries in West Africa most afflicted by Ebola. But in this age of global air travel and myriad connecting flights, citizens of those countries might enter the country on a connecting flight, rendering such bans effectively useless. Moreover, the World Health Organization as well as humanitarian aid groups like Doctors Without Borders insist that banning travel or closing borders would only make it more difficult to send aid,  therefore encouraging the epidemic to grow even more serious in West Africa. Since we're all so interconnected now in a globalized world, closing off borders would likely pose a greater danger to the world in the long run. 

I've read that Paris is a major air hub for the countries hardest-hit by the disease. Shouldn't I worry?

At this time, the only direct flight from affected West African countries to Paris is the Air France connection from Guinea's capital, Conakry, and passengers are being screened both at the origin and the destination for symptoms of Ebola. It's true that because of its status as a flight hub to west African countries, there is a risk that someone from an Ebola-stricken country might eventually board a plane and lead to a few cases in Paris. Unfortunately, there is no zero-risk scenario. Again, however, at this time, there are zero reported cases in France at this time-- and read my conclusion below reiterating my earlier point about the difficulty of transmitting the disease. 

?Read related feature: Stay in touch with your Embassy in Paris 

Still worried? Here's my conclusion. In short: There's currently very little reason to worry about the Ebola epidemic affecting tourists in Paris and the rest of France. Of course, it's always a good idea to observe good hygiene practices while traveling, washing your hands frequently with hot soap and water, and perhaps using hand sanitizer if you can't immediately wash your hands after using public restrooms or public transport.  So if you find it difficult to quell your worrying, taking these kinds of measures can help soothe your mind. Remember, Ebola can only be spread through the direct transmission of bodily fluids from one person to another-- and when you're traveling, it's highly unlikely that you'll make this kind of contact with anyone. 

Stay safe, stay calm, and above all, enjoy your trip. I'll be publishing any updates of note and information of relevance to travellers at this page, so you can feel free to bookmark it and check back.