With the world getting more anxious by the minute due to the recent outbreak of Ebola, a stunning claim by the World Health Organization has revealed that the deadly disease could soar up to 10,000 new cases a week within two months if drastic on-the-ground prevention measures are not taken, the Associated Press reported.
Although the current death toll of nearly 4,500 Ebola victims has largely been centralized in West Africa, a handful of cases have popped up in the United States, Spain, and Germany.
By December, the number of new cases could most likely spiral between 5,000 and 10,000 a week, a staggering figure which is approximately 10 times higher than the current rate of infection, which is 1,000 a week, WHO Assistant Director General Dr. Bruce Aylward stated during a news conference in Geneva on Tuesday, adding that "a lot more people will die" since the death rate has increased to 70 percent.
In the three hardest hit countries, Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, detailed investigations have shown only 30 percent of the Ebola-infected patients to be surviving, which includes 8,914 suspected, confirmed and probable cases. "This is a high-mortality disease in any circumstances but particularly in these places," said Aylward.
According to WHO's current 70-70-60 plan, containing the disease will ideally require 70 percent of the cases to be isolated in West Africa, with another 70 percent of the dead being safely buried within the next 60 days, The Guardian reported.
It is a tough target, said Aylward, but if it takes 90 days rather than 60, "a lot more people will die who shouldn't and we will need that much more capacity on the ground to manage the caseload".
As the number of patients continues to rise and treatment for the sick gains urgency, the glaring shortage of trained and experienced people to manage the crisis will also pose serious risks, according to Aylward.
For now, the U.S. and United Kingdom are setting up good training programs, "but there is still the challenge of getting internationals on the ground who have expertise - in Ebola ideally".
Next week, at least 700 members of the U.S. army are set to travel to Liberia, with only 150 being quipped with safety training to protect themselves from the virus. Their main aim will be to build Ebola care centers and train healthcare workers in the country, the 101st Airborne Division of the U.S. military said.
"It would be horrifically unethical to say that we're just going to isolate people," he said, noting that new strategies like handing out protective equipment to families and setting up very basic clinics - without much treatment - was a priority.
On Thursday, the presidents of Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, whose countries received minimal health support before Ebola's outbreak, appealed to the World Bank for providing more help to their nations.
"What we're paying for now is our failure to have invested in those countries before," said Francisco Ferreira, the World Bank's chief economist for Africa.
Meanwhile, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and ex-Microsoft chairman Bill Gates have donated $25 million and $50 million respectively to help address the Ebola outbreak, according to NBC News.
