The White House has presented a new plan to tackle the Ebola outbreak in Central Africa. It involves setting up a health facility in Kenya specifically for Americans who have been exposed to the virus. Secretary of State Marco Rubio earnestly assured everyone at a recent cabinet meeting that the administration’s top priority is the safety of American citizens. Apparently, the grand strategy here is to ensure Ebola won’t cross into the United States, as if viruses respect borders or political declarations. The effort is commendable but let’s take a moment to see if the plan holds water.

It’s clear that no country can guarantee complete immunity from importing cases of Ebola. We learned this back in 2014 when West Africa faced a significant outbreak and the U.S. managed to keep it under control without much drama. There were some sleepless nights and frantic health screenings, but nothing says dedication like a preventative quarantine. The same tactics are being dusted off for this outbreak, with the hopes that lightning strikes twice. However, the situation is more pressing this time, with the strains in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda reportedly spreading faster than our responses can keep up. It’s the equivalent of trying to stop a flood with a weekend DIY dam project.

What makes this outbreak potentially more dangerous is the strain of Ebola at play. Identified as the Bunabujo strain, this one doesn’t roll out the red carpet for existing vaccines and treatments like its cousin, the Zaire strain. It’s not new, having been discovered in 2007, but here it is, ready for the spotlight because our medical defenses simply aren’t as prepared for it. The lethality rate being from 25 to 50 percent doesn’t inspire much confidence either, especially without effective treatments lined up and ready to deploy.

With symptoms similar to influenza, Ebola can be a stealthy adversary, only revealing its true colors when it’s too late. It doesn’t care much for airports or sitting in economy class, preferring direct, personal delivery through contact with bodily fluids. The concern isn’t airborne scenarios, but rather the logistical nightmare of containment when systems start to crash into multi-organ failure without intervention. It’s not exactly the kind of adventure one seeks on travel brochures.

Now, let’s talk about the healthcare setup in Kenya. The idea is to treat Americans who might be exposed there instead of flying them back stateside for care. This might raise a few eyebrows given that the golden standard of therapy—at least traditionally—has always been to bring them back for top-notch treatment. If Kenya can provide ICU-level care up to U.S. standards, it could be a swift and practical way to deal with cases as they arise. Of course, if Africa was better at receiving American aid, they might be critically analyzing this condescension. The hope is that this will quicken the response time and stave off a potential health calamity. If there’s one thing that can be agreed upon, it’s that time is of the essence. Let’s just hope it doesn’t take more time than we’ve got.