High alert for Ebola likely to be extended

It appears that Jamaica could be on high alert for Ebola for an extended period amid a massive international effort to prevent the spread of  the deadly virus.

 

Since Tuesday's first confirmed case in the US the Health Ministry has been putting measures in place, to ensure the country's readiness in the event of  Ebola spreading to Jamaica. Public Health Specialist, Dr. Winston Davidson, says, based on trends in global travel, Jamaica cannot afford to let its guard down.

 

"This particular measure is going to have to remain in place for quite some time, and the state of alert must be maintained," Dr. Davidson said during his appearance on TVJ's All Angles, on Wednesday night.

 

He added that the dissemination of relevant information to the Jamaican people must also be maintained for the next two years "until this particular epidemic is controlled in the particular area."

 

 

And, it has now emerged that, two days after he was initially sent home from a Dallas hospital, the man who is the first person to be diagnosed with Ebola in the US, was seen vomiting on the ground outside an apartment complex as he was bundled into an ambulance. 

 

A resident described to Reuters news agency the chaotic scene before the man was admitted to Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital on Sunday where he remains in serious condition.  The New York Times said the man, who is in his mid-40s, helped transport a pregnant woman suffering from Ebola to a hospital in Liberia, where she was turned away for lack of  space.

 

It's reported that he helped take the woman back to her family's home and carried her into the house, where she later died. Four days later, he left for the United States. Texas health officials said up to 80 people, including five children, had contact with the Ebola patient after he traveled to the United States late last month. The children went to school earlier this week but have been sent home and are being monitored for symptoms.

 

A leading charity has warned that a rate of  five new Ebola cases an hour in Sierra Leone means health care demands are far outstripping supply. Save the Children said there were 765 new cases of  Ebola reported in the West African state last week, while there are only 327 beds in the country.  

 

The World Health Organization said two experimental vaccines were being fast tracked for use. It is the world's worst outbreak of  the virus, killing 3,338 people so far. There have been 7,178 confirmed cases, with Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea suffering the most.

 

Save the Children says Ebola is spreading across Sierra Leone at a terrifying rate, with the number of  new cases being recorded doubling every few weeks.