According to the doctors treating Dr. Kent Brantly - one of the two Americans sickened with Ebola in Liberia - the Emory Hospital medical staff is going above and beyond to ensure containment of the virus. The second American sickened with Ebola is expected to leave Liberia for the U.S. on Tuesday.
Nancy Writebol is the second American missionary to be infected with the deadly virus. She will arrive at Emory Hospital on Tuesday to join Dr. Kent Brantly who has received treatment over the weekend and was reported to be in 'good spirits.' According to NBC News, Brantly also received a dose of experimental serum from a Christian group called Samaritan's purse. Writebol received another serum, which is said to be the final dose available as others are in development.
Writebol's evacuation flight is scheduled between 1 a.m. and 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) director Tom Frieden is assuring the American people that there is no danger in importing these patients for treatment. He says Ebola can be contained as long as those conducting the treatment ensure each safety measure/precaution is executed in order and effectively. Dr. Jay Varkey of Emory Hospital also says he is 100% confident with the safety procedures that are in place.
According to health officials, any modern hospital using standard infection-control measures should be capable of containing the Ebola virus, and Emory Hospital's infectious disease unit is one of four units in the United States that is capable of testing for and treating the most dangerous viruses. Patients with such viruses are quarantined and sealed off from anyone not in protective gear and only doctors are allowed inside the quarantine unit while family members and friends are limited to communication through barriers.
As of July 31, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported 1,323 cases of Ebola and 729 deaths in four West African countries (Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria). The virus is still raging in the region and many fear is can spread elsewhere. Nigeria's Special Advisor on Public Health, Dr. Yewande Adeshina, said the country is looking to contact over 30,000 people who they believe may have come into contact with an Ebola patient. Additionally, other countries fear that illegal immigrants as well as others crossing borders between African countries will contribute to its spread. Liberia travelers already brought one case to Nigeria, and it was reported on Friday that a Liberian seeking asylum in the UK was suspected of carrying the virus.
"I am concerned that officers enforcing our borders suggest they may not be fully prepared to protect the public from the spread of this deadly virus," said Keith Vaz, the Chair of Britain's Home Affairs Committee, in this Telegraph news article. "Prevention is not just better than cure, in this case it is essential. I have written to the Home Secretary to ensure that we are doing all we can to protect the UK on the frontline."
You can read more about the Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa and the two infected Americans receiving treatment in this Fox News article.
