Ebola Virus Outbreak 2015: 1.4 Million Infections Estimated; Mid-Year End Possible
In September, CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) provided a critical number of estimates predicting the future of the deadly Ebola virus. Considering trends at the time, the health agency also adjusted the numbers based on approximate underreported cases.
One important data estimated that by January 20, 2015, there will be a total of 550,000 Ebola cases in Liberia and Sierra Leone or 1.4 million when underreporting corrections are made.
Note, however, that these figures were expected if there had been no "additional interventions or changes in community behavior."
BBC took note of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's statement, "If we continue to accelerate our response, we can contain and end the outbreak by the middle of next year."
Recently, the World Health Organization announced that the current death toll has reached 7,905, said the Voice of America. Accordingly, the number is a portion of 20,206 confirmed, probable and suspected cases.
Yet the outlet cited medical experts predicting that the outbreak may tone down much longer, being at the "end of 2015." Accordingly, Sierra Leone had 2,758 recorded deaths. Liberia had 3,423 recorded deaths, while Guinea had 1,709 recorded deaths.
As we have earlier noted, the above countries are the most Ebola-stricken nations in West Africa.
In recent news, the United Kingdom's first Ebola-confirmed (by soil) patient Pauline Cafferkey has been treated with an experimental antiviral drug, The Independent noted. On top of the medication, the Scottish nurse is also set to receive blood plasma from Ebola survivors. Cafferkey is currently undergoing treatment at the Royal Free Hospital in London.
The outlet went on to indicate that the unnamed antiviral drug has been used "extensively" for other medical purposes, as explained by Dr. Michael Jacobs. He heads the team caring for nurse Cafferkey.
Cafferkey is the second Ebola patient to be treated in the U.K., said The Guardian. She follows the admission of British nurse William Pooley, who was infected in August. Pooley underwent treatment at the same hospital as Cafferkey, and was successfully nursed back to health.
As told by the source, Cafferkey has been a nurse for 16 years. She was one of the 30 NHS volunteers who helped combat the West African virus in Sierra Leone, Nov. 2014.
Dr. Jacobs informed that the hospital wasn't unable to obtain ZMapp, the drug used to treat Pooley, according to Mirror. At the time of reporting, the physician was said to claim that Cafferkey hasn't shown any side effects following administration of the experimental drug.
You can read the full Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report here.
Watch Kurzgesagt - In a Nutshell's audio-visual information on the Ebola virus below.