Liberia: 300 People Survive Ebola Attacks

The Assistant Health Minister for Preventive health Services Tolbert Nyenswah told journalists last Monday that the sudden twist in the infection per gender is being g medically investigated to establish why more males are currently being infected than females.

According to him, about 70% of the current Ebola infections are occurred among males while 30% registered for their female counterparts, adding that ages between 25-34 years are highly affected by Ebola followed by females 35-44 years proceeded by ages 45-54 years, with children constituting less affected especially those ages between one to five.

Mr. Nyenswah also disclosed that the 300 Ebola survivors came from treatment centers at the JFK, ELWA unit one, two and three, among others, as areas where the cases were treated. She said things were "gradually improving with what they do in ending the outbreak", expressing confidence that the WHO's prediction could be disproved if such positive response continues.

“More Liberians will walk out of treatment centers alive because doctors are dedicating more efforts and are now gaining momentum to fearlessly battle the deadly Ebola disease,” Atai Omoruto, a Ugandan doctor, has said.

Dr. Omoruto, who is Consultant for WHO Ebola Case Management at the Island Clinic in Monrovia, made the statement Tuesday when she addressed the Ministry of Information daily Ebola news briefing held in the conference hall of the ministry.

She said saving the lives of every Ebola patient who comes into treatment units remains her top priority. Dr. Omoruto said the Island Clinic facility is a major boost to Liberia’s Ebola fight, but noted that additional treatment facilities need to be constructed so that patients can be accommodated.

n Senegal, there's been only one confirmed Ebola case - a Guinean student who crossed the border just before it was closed on August 21 and has since recovered - but the country will not be declared transmission-free before 42 days have passed since the case was recorded.

According to her, early treatment is important to surviving the Ebola disease, but called on government to do more in passing on the information to people in communities so that they will come for treatment immediately upon suspecting the virus.

She observed that protracted period with the virus outside of treatment facilities is responsible for most of the deaths recorded because, according to Omoruto, many people wait until they are acutely ill before they are taken to treatment centers.

“If you walk into treatment centers, you will walk out healthy and safe, but when you come in lying on stretchers, there is very limited possibility to survive the virus,” she said.

Meanwhile, Dr. Omoruto has disclosed that Liberia is facing “a very dangerous strain” of the Ebola disease due to its fastness in replication.

She noted that supportive treatment has proven effective against the virus and as such doctors are responding swiftly to provide intensive supportive care to patients which enable their recovery.