Alarmed by the voracity with which plows the Ebola virus, the international medical community yesterday released dramatic warnings about extension, broader than previously thought, pointing out that its scope was "significantly undervalued" and claiming that the affected areas live a "catastrophic situation" recalls war zones.
The World Health Organization (WHO), in Geneva, warned that the epidemic "continues to spread" in West Africa and admitted that "the number of cases which were reported widely underestimated its magnitude."
In total, 1145 deaths and 2127 confirmed, probable and suspected cases in Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone, the four West African countries hit by the outbreak, according to the provisional balance and always rising WHO. This figure is likely to grow or stabilize depending on the effectiveness of health measures taken at all levels, regional, national and international.
WHO decided last week to declare the outbreak of Ebola and international health emergency and urged countries concerned to implement the national emergency and to increase security measures, which they did since. Underestimated due to the outbreak jump WHO yesterday also pledged to coordinate "a massive increase in the international response."
In just two days 152 new cases were reported and, for now, the virus will continue to advance with your current rate of demolition, as the horizon of work that the UN agency that coordinates health emergencies was drawn.
"We hope that the epidemic will last yet and plan emergency response WHO will continue in the coming months," said the health care organization. Extraordinary measures are needed "on a massive scale to contain the outbreak in places with extreme poverty, dysfunctional health systems, physician shortages and rampant fear."
The emergency coordinator for Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in Liberia, Lindis Hurum, described as "catastrophic" situation in Monrovia, the Liberian capital, said information points to the spread of at least 40 health workers in recent weeks. Most hospitals were closed and are said to be dead in the houses and streets.
MSF compared the situation of the epidemic with a state of war, and estimated that the outbreak could last six months. "We are running behind a train," said the president of the charity, Joanne Liu. "And it's faster than we can serve."
"If we do not stabilize Liberia, never will stabilize the region. During the next six months, we should have control over the epidemic, that's my feeling," Liu said this virus, whose immediate symptoms are fever and vomiting, and in its advanced stage cause severe bleeding and death row.
Doctors who do piecework in the area are in despair overwhelm patient care centers, such as the case of a clinic campaign 80 beds that opened in Monrovia days ago and filled immediately. The next day, dozens of others were presented for attention.
Tarnue Karbbar, who works for Plan International in northern Liberia, said aid teams simply can not document all cases that arise. Many patients are hiding in their homes for their families, too afraid to go to a treatment center. Others are buried before the teams come to the area. In recent days, 75 cases arose in a single district, Voinjama. "Our challenge now is to quarantine the area to successfully interrupt transmission of the disease," said Karbbar.
Liberia itself suffers from a kind of air quarantine. Airlines such as Air France, British Airways, Arik asky or suspended in recent weeks their flights to Monrovia. It also fears a shortage of food and other commodities, after neighboring Ivory Coast ban the naval transport infected countries.
Another way to see the degree of catastrophe was that the Ministry of Justice released 100 detainees for minor offenses without trial to protect against the spread in overcrowded prisons in Liberia.
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