Physical Wellness
Ebola Deaths Cross 4,000 Mark
Number of outbreaks and infections continue to spiral during the current Ebola outbreak. The WHO On Friday announced that at least 4,033 people have succumbed to the virus.
Time reported that more than 8,300 people have been infected in seven countries. Barring nine deaths, all of them have occurred in three of the worst hit countries: Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. One death was reported in US recently. Spain also reported death of a priest who was flown in from Liberia last month. Nigeria reported seven deaths.
The WHO also revealed that 416 healthcare workers have contracted the virus of which 233 have died, CNN reported. Healthcare workers are among the high-risk groups working in Ebola infected areas. Ever since infections and deaths were reported outside of West-Africa, concerns have been soaring.
The US nurse Nancy Writebol who contracted the virus in Liberia but later recovered in an Atlanta hospital said that the point of infection may not have been hospital where she worked.
"Well, it's very possible that I contracted Ebola outside of the (medical) unit, not within. Of course, I came in contact with people outside of our hospital, and I remember knowing and being with a gentleman one time that later died of Ebola. And it's possible that there was, you know, some contact there. We just don't really know," she told CNN.
Those suffering and fighting have called for greater aid to control the outbreak.
"For those who have yet to pledge, I say please do so soon. This is an unforgiving disease," Ban said, according to ABC News. He cited a requirement of more than 20 times of what is being invested to fight disease.
The current outbreak is the most devastating the outbreak since the first outbreak in 1976. The CDC estimated last month that 1.4 million could be infected by next year before the outbreak is contained.
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