On Thursday, March 5th, Liberia's last known Ebola patient was discharged, a significant milestone after the 9000+ cases that were reported over the last several months. The news of the last patient with Ebola in the country being released from the hospital was met with a celebration in Monrovia, the state capital. Despite the good news, the deputy health minister of Liberia cautioned that the fight against Ebola is not over. This hint of trepidation stemmed from the continued outbreak in the neighboring countries of Sierra Leone and Guinea. The Ebola virus has been notoriously hard to contain in West Africa due to poor health care facilities and unhygienic sanitary conditions. While there is much to be celebrated regarding this public health achievement, Liberia will not be considered free of the outbreak until April 4th. At that date two incubation cycles (21 days each) of the virus will have passed, and if no new cases have surfaced, the declaration that Ebola is gone will be made.
Onishi, Norimitsu. "Last Known Ebola Patient in Liberia Is Discharged." The New York Times. The New York Times, 05 Mar. 2015. Web. 17 Mar. 2015.
Posts
