More Disheartening News, On The DRC 2019 Ebola Front...

While the vaccinated will -- in the next few days -- surpass the 100,000 milestone marker, and the Merck candidate is still showing over 97 per cent efficacy, there is the real and increasing danger of this outbreak becoming nearly as bad as the 2013-2014 version. Local unfounded superstitions, along with multiple "hot-spot" armed conflicts -- in the affected cities, are exacerbating it all -- and are decidedly unproductive, in pro-actively addressing public health / epidemic containment.

Here is the University of Minnesota's esteemed SIDRAP update, on it all:

. . . .Yesterday, the Associated Press reported that some clinicians in the region are threatening to strike because of recent attacks. Yesterday in Butembo nurses and doctors dressed in white marched to city hall to give a memorandum to the mayor asking for more protection. . . .

. . .Yesterday and today, the DRC recorded 20 new Ebola cases, including 10 deaths -- five that took place in the community, which raise the risk of disease spread.

The outbreak totals now stand at 1,373 cases, of which 1,307 are confirmed and 66 are probable. Officials have confirmed 890 deaths, and 248 suspected cases are still under investigation. . . .

We will remain hopeful on this sunny Spring Friday that the "fire this time". . . is soon quenched. But we will prepare for it to get worse, before it gets better.

नमस्ते