Here's How Rand Paul And Other Politicians Contributed To The 'Lie Of The Year'

Remember when Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) suggested that you could get Ebola at a cocktail party? Now, Paul and several other politicians are getting called out for spreading exaggerations about Ebola: PolitiFact has just given the hyperbolic warnings the distinct honor of being the 2014 "Lie of the Year". Two people in the United States died of the disease, but politicians and pundits made several claims about the virus that were unsubstantiated by any evidence. In total, PolitiFact said that it rated 16 different claims about Ebola as "mostly false," "false," or "Pants-on-Fire." PolitiFact also noted that 10 of the claims came in October, shortly before the midterm elections. The offenders include Paul, who incorrectly said that Ebola was "incredibly contagious" and that it was possible to get Ebola from someone standing just three feet away from you. In reality, Ebola is transmitted through direct contact with bodily fluids. Several members of Congress claimed that undocumented immigrants were carrying Ebola across the southern border of the United States or posed the risk of doing so. Experts interviewed by PolitiFact said that the likelihood of Central American children bringing the disease, which originated in Africa, was "almost non-existent." While these politicians may be responsible for spreading untrue information, the CDC also struggled to communicate information about Ebola. The agency had to revise its website to more clearly communicate that Ebola was not an ai...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news