I think Merrill Lynch is the main cause of the global economic panic about Ebola. They published this report 10-3-14 on Ebola front page as part of their big global strategy update. Note the author of the Ebola piece, Sarbhit Nahal, is not even a healthcare worker, he’s a friggin lawyer.
“Be prepared to fight pandemics This week, we discuss a number of topics related to themes from our A Transforming World framework. As Ebola concerns loom, the risk of a pandemic spreading globally is a question of when rather than if, according to strategist Sarbjit Nahal. He suggests the threat of a global pandemic is higher than at any time in human history and outlines the key risk factors around 16 potential pandemics. Based on history, Nahal estimates a severe pandemic could kill 360 million people and hit global GDP by 5-10% in the first year. It could negatively impact demand for transport, hotels and catering, restaurants, arts, and recreation by 67-80%,with the overall cost of a major global pandemic scenario potentially reaching US$2.5 trillion. Worryingly, notable gaps exist in government funding for preparedness and more than 75% of corporates have inadequate pandemic plans.”