As if picture-taking peeping Toms on campus, death threats from the mentally unstable, and midterms aren’t enough, now add the chilling news of a mutated killing virus landing on our soil. It’s been a stressful couple of weeks.

People across the country (and quite possibly the world) are ready to retreat into their bomb shelters due to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa and traces of the virus in Texas.

Thanks to the hemorrhagic fever outbreak, now better known as Ebola, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued multiple warning notices for U.S. citizens to avoid nonessential travel to Nigeria, Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.

So then how did this virus escape Africa, catch a one-way flight, and make its way over to our continent when the CDC issued warnings were back in July when the outbreak was taking out hundreds of people in West Africa?

It took one Texas man, who went to West Africa for a wedding, came back to Texas infected, and then died. For lack of better words, it’s safe to guess that said Texan did not listen to the CDC.

The World Health Organization sent out a Global Alert and Response regarding the outbreak taking place in West Africa. By July 27, the cumulative number of cases in the four West African countries came to over a thousand, and more than half of those cases ended in death.

It doesn’t take a scientist to recognize that those numbers are substantial and should be taken seriously – but to what extent? It’s doubtful that the Texan thought he was at serious risk when traveling overseas, but in the end, the results are fatal and as we all know – in his case – literal death.

The CDC has compiled a timeline for reference on the ongoing situation, but how the people are dealing with the current cases of Ebola diagnosed in the United States vary.

In an effort to simply keep to the facts, here’s what we know: there are three cases in the states (concentrated in Dallas, TX), it can only be spread by direct contact with body fluids of infected persons or objects contaminated with the virus, and infected animals (the CDC put together a reader friendly PDF document with basic information).

Now what does this mean for us? What are we doing with all this information? Is this the beginning of the end?

First things first, don’t be an idiot.

No need to sharpen your machetes just yet.

Reload your weapons? Perhaps, if weapons are a euphemism for knowing your facts – not just what broadcast news is feeding you with – do some research yourself and don’t just take word-of-mouth information as truth. No need to jump to conclusions. But rather do your research, find out for yourself, and be knowledgeable – nobody has your best interest at heart more than yourself.

Bottom line, do yourself a favor and don’t be fooled by the media. If you don’t know, find out, don’t look for excuses and find the answers.

Editor’s note: This column originally ran in print in October 2014.