The Ebola outbreak is getting worse in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. Unfortunately, all three countries still have new cases being reported daily. The most recent reports state that there have been around 10,000 confirmed cases of Ebola reported in western Africa. The fatality rate has risen from approximately 50% to 70%. The situation is getting worse.
There is no way to predict the course of the outbreak or when it will end. Also, there is no way to predict how many more people will be infected before it is over.
I know it is easy to focus on the numbers, the charts and graphs that appear on the brief news clips or online. But I want to remind everyone that these are not just numbers, but rather 10,000 individuals with family and friends. I thought about posting photos of individuals infected but decided against it since the photos are quite horrific. My intention is not to scare anyone but to bring some humanity and compassion to the situation. There are about 15 crew members from those specific countries, all of whom are worried about people back home. Sometimes you can see the worry and stress written on their faces. It is not just the disease, though, that causes worry. Food prices have increased exponentially over the last few months. People fear leaving their homes. The situation is dire even for those without the disease. Please keep them in your prayers.
There are two pieces of good news...
One, on October 20, the WHO declared the end of the Ebola outbreak in Nigeria! This is great news for Nigeria. Nigeria had 17 confirmed cases of Ebola, 7 of whom died.
And two, on October 17, WHO declared the end of the Ebola outbreak in Senegal. I am quoting directly from the WHO website: "Forty-two days have now passed since the last contact of Senegal's single confirmed case of Ebola virus disease completed the requisite 21-day monitoring period, under medical supervision, developed no symptoms, and tested negative for the virus."
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