New Ebola cases may rise to 10,000 a week by December

New Ebola cases may rise to 10,000 a week by December

15 October 2014, 09:32
Ronnie Mansolillo
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ZURICH — The Ebola virus is killing 70% of the people who contract the disease, the World Health Organization said on Tuesday, and as many as 10,000 new cases a week could be reported by early December.

Bruce Aylward, the WHO assistant director-general in charge of the organization’s response to the epidemic, said the Ebola virus is “still moving geographically, still escalating” in some bigger cities.

He expressed concern the disease could spread to West African countries that share borders with Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia, the epicenters of the current outbreak, singling out Ivory Coast as particularly vulnerable.

Dr. Aylward pushed for adoption of a plan the WHO has dubbed “70-70-60” that includes the goal to safely bury 70% of the people killed by Ebola and treat 70% of those with the disease within 60 days to help prevent the spread of the disease.

“Every time you isolate another patient, every time you have a safe burial, you’re taking some of the heat out of this outbreak,” Dr. Aylward said.

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