Summary: The number of those infected with the Ebola virus could exponentially increase over the coming months if sufficient medical action is not taken.
According to the World Health Organization, the death rate from Ebola is now at 70 percent. The Huffington Post reports that in just two months, there could be up to 10,000 new cases each week.
Dr. Bruce Aylward, the assistant director-general of the WHO, reported these disturbing numbers during a recent news conference in Geneva. The WHO had previously reported that the death rate was around 50 percent.
Dr. Aylward explained that the death rate was “a high mortality disease” under any condition and that the WHO was focused on isolating those infected with the disease and providing treatment to them as early as possible.
Dr. Aylward told reporters that if the worldwide response to the spread of the disease is not strengthened in a mere 60 days, “a lot more people will die” and that a tremendous effort will need to be made by countries worldwide to deal with the increasing number of cases.
In the past four weeks, there’s been roughly 1,000 cases reported each week. This figure includes suspected, confirmed, and probable cases. The WHO hopes to have 70 percent of these cases isolated in two months to hopefully reverse the outbreak of the disease.
The death toll now from Ebola was increased by 4,447 on Tuesday. Most victims are in West Africa. Previously, there were 8,914 cases reported. The countries with the highest numbers of victims are Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea. The WHO is concerned about the disease continuing to spread in the capital cities of these nations; Freetown, Monrovia and Conakry.
Poor healthcare systems in West Africa exacerbate the problem. Aylward commented, “It would be horrifically unethical to say that we’re just going to isolate people.” He added that plans include providing protective equipment to families, as well as setting up basic clinics.
Despite “intensive medical procedures,” a U.N. medical worker who was infected in Liberia died overnight of the infection. He tested positive on October 6, which triggered the U.N.’s keeping 41 other staff members under “close medical observation.”
The patient arrived at the St. Georg hospital in Leipzig on October 9. Dr. Iris Minde, the hospital’s chief executive, explained that, at the time of the patient’s admission, there was no risk of infection because the 56-year-old was kept in a secure isolation ward that implemented negative pressure rooms that were hermetically sealed.
The patient, who has not been named, was the third to receive treatment in Germany. The first patient recovered and returned to Senegal, his home. A Uganda aid worker continues treatment in Frankfurt.
Photo credit: ebolavirusoutbreak.com