12/29/2015 12:54 am ET
Guinea, one of the countries hit by the worst outbreak of Ebola, has been declared free of any cases of the deadly virus.
 |
| Guinea is Ebola Free |
Because Guinea hasn't seen any new infections for 42 days, the amount of time in two incubation cycles for the disease, the WHO declared it free of Ebola on Tuesday. The last known patient in Guinea was a 3-week-old girl who tested negative for the virus twice in November, The New York Times reported.
"It's cause for celebration, because people are day to day living in very tough conditions," said Susan Michaels-Strasser, a professor at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and a nurse who treated Ebola patients in Liberia. "Everyone should be embarrassed that it got to such a level. The warning signs were there."
There will be a ceremony on Wednesday in which government officials, NGOs and foreign representatives will mark the declaration.
“My colleagues and I at the World Bank Group congratulate the government and people of Guinea on reaching this important milestone. They have showed remarkable determination fighting Ebola since the first case emerged in rural Guinea two years ago," said Jim Yong Kim, president of the World Bank, in a statement. "Still, we must remain vigilant to stay at zero cases, and continue to support Guinea as it contends with the enormous human and economic costs of Ebola."
The worst outbreak of Ebola started with a patient in Guinea two years ago and quickly spread across porous borders into neighboring countries of West Africa and as far away as the United States. The World Health Organization reports that the crisis killed more than 11,000 people, mainly in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. more
No comments:
Post a Comment