The Peace Corps is currently removing its volunteers from the countries of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone because of the Ebola outbreak in those three nations. It is believed that some volunteers were exposed to Ebola whilst making contact with locals.
There are at least three U.S. citizens known to have contracted the disease. Two are medical workers in Liberia, Dr. Kent Brantly and Nancy Writebol.
Brantly and the couple’s 3- and 5-year-old children left Liberia for a scheduled visit to the United States on July 20. Days later, Kent Brantly quarantined himself in the isolation ward of a hospital where he had been treating Ebola patients after testing positive for the disease. His host organization Samaritan’s Purse has recalled non-essential employees from Liberia.
Amber Brantly and the children are in Abilene, Texas, under a 21-day fever watch but are not believed to have contracted the illness.
Another American citizen, Patrick Sawyer, died prior to being able to board an aircraft to the United States, which he intended to do — as I wrote about here.
A potential Ebola arrival to the US.
One of those volunteers recently arrived into the United States proper on Tuesday and was responsible for the isolation of an entire corridor of the ER at the Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, NC.
“CMC officials said earlier Wednesday that a patient was being tested, but a spokesman would not specify what for. Officials with CMC said Wednesday afternoon the patient had recently visited Africa.”
A potential Ebola arrival to the US.
One very important physician familiar with Ebola has already perished from the disease, Dr Sheik Umar Khan, in Sierra Leone on Tuesday.
A story like this with no medical attribution does little to assuage fears of a potential epidemic.
British and Hong Kong authorities are concerned about a global breakout — particularly with regard to centers of high population where the virus could spread geometrically.
Ebola is up to 90% fatal, the incubation period is roughly 21 days, and there is no cure.
Now, a doctor has been quarantined in Canada because of an Ebola fear.
One plane ride away.
Perhaps that plane ride has already occurred.
No one can yet say for certain whether it has, or whether it hasn’t.
BZ
