Ebola is, in fact, easier to contract than AIDS. IMO the whole ebola scare here in the US is a paranoid overreaction but don't pretend like this is some sort of blatantly incorrect gaffe.
How else would those nurses catch ebola? Did they tongue kiss (American) patient zero? They clearly contracted it through some form of contact. It may not be the bubonic plague, but yes, ebola is indeed very contagious.
I would imagine the fact that as nurses they were frequently around his bodily fluids (blood, spit, urine, etc) for extended periods played a role, which is not the case for most interactions between people.
But coughing does not transmit the disease, so that was an extremely poor example for a physician to use for comparison.
Because I know that when I'm coughing, I always make a point to stand right next to someone and aim right for their face. And if that doesn't work, I just spit mucus at them.
...yet, somehow, people are still contracting Ebola by the thousands in Africa. Surely it is most likely from the sanitation, but I have a hard time imagining the people of Liberia are standing in it.
Also, you assume that most people aren't as well mannered. I can't count the number of times I have been coughed on.
