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11/22/2024 06:18:04 am

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Liberia's Last Ebola Patient Released From Clinic

Beatrice Yardolo, Liberia's last ebola patient released from clinic

(Photo : Liberian Information Ministry) Beatrice Yardolo, Liberia's last ebola patient released from clinic

Liberia has released its last Ebola patient from a treatment center, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported.


The patient, 58-year-old Beatrice Yardolo, was discharged from a Chinese-run medical facility in the capital of Monrovia after she completed her treatment for two weeks.

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It is the first time since May last year that no new case of Ebola virus was reported in Liberia for the whole week.

But before Liberia can be finally declared Ebola-free, there has to be no new cases of the virus for 42 days.

Even if Liberia has no new fresh case of Ebola at this time, WHO officials said it may not mean that the plague has actually left the country.

They say that it may only indicate that the spread of the virus is not properly monitored.

WHO officials said many families with infected members still resist treatments in clinics.

Ebola virus has claimed the lives of nearly 10,000 people in Liberia, New Guinea and Sierra Leone. New Guinea and Sierra Leone registered 132 new cases towards the end of last month.

Guinea is set to conduct its final testing of an experimental Ebola vaccine.

WHO Director-General Margaret Chan said that if the testing becomes successful, it will be the first time in history that a preventive tool against Ebola is created.

The region of Basse Guinee in Guinea will be the site for the vaccinations since the area has the highest number of Ebola victims in the country.

WHO Assistant Director-General Marie-Paule Kienny says, "an effective vaccine to control the current flare-ups could be the game-changer to finaly end this epidemic."

Meanwhile, Ebola is still prevalent in Sierra Leone. It currently has 81 Ebola patients, 26 of them are in the capital of Freetown.

"The number of confirmed deaths resulting from Ebola in Guinea and Sierra Leone remains high," the WHO said.

It added that the epidemic continues because many people in these countries have not understood and accepted the need for early isolation and treatment for the victims.

Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf stresses the need to establish a "Marshall Plan" for Ebola- affected countries in West Africa.

She said an enormous AID Program similar to the one launched in Europe after World War Two must be organized.

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