WHO: Liberia’s Ebola Infection Rate Declines

Voice of America ^ | 10/30/2014 | Lisa Schlein

[SeekAndFind]

After months of near-futile battle with Ebola, a World Health Organization official said a glimmer of hope is beginning to emerge in the worst-affected country, Liberia.

The West African country has recorded 6,535 cases, almost half of the 13,703 total reported in the current outbreak. But Dr. Bruce Aylward, WHO’s assistant director-general, on Wednesday said the infection rate appears to be falling "and there may indeed be a slowing of the epidemic there."

Aylward said Liberia's caseload may be dropping by as much as 25 percent a week. However, he added, "This is no time to let up."

The outbreak's death toll likely has surpassed 5,000 among all countries, he said.

US troops face quarantine

Meanwhile, U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has approved strict, quarantine-like monitoring for all U.S. troops returning from the Ebola relief mission in West Africa. The outbreak has hit Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone hardest.

President Barack Obama was to meet Wednesday with his public health and national security teams about the government's Ebola response. He also was scheduled to make public remarks from the White House to encourage health care workers battling Ebola in Africa and to explain that U.S. policies are based on their experience and science.

Obama on Tuesday said the United States has ramped up its support for fighting Ebola in West Africa. Since August, he said, the country has increased the number of Ebola treatment units and burial teams and expanded the pipeline of medical personnel and equipment there, as well as launched an aggressive educational campaign.

He praised the "incredible heroism" of American health care workers in West Africa and of the U.S. Agency for International Development’s disaster assistance response team (DART), which deployed there in late summer.

[Cowboy Bob]

Truth: Reporting of Liberia's infection rate declines.

[BCW]

It’s declining because those infected are dying off...??????

What does WHO say about the survival rate?

[heylady]

....or infected people are choosing to stay away from the hospitals and families are choosing to bury their own dead.

[Don Corleone]

The not so good news is that when the entire population dies it will become zero, sort of how our unemployment rate is being calculated.

[VanShuyten]

There was a recent report here on FR that said that cases jumped 25% in the last week.

[GeronL]

how would they know if the rate has declined?

didn’t they pretty much tell them to stay home and die?

[blueplum]

Well in that case, we don’t need to send troops after all. And it’s about time that the WHO gave us a financial accounting of just what all our money was spent on - and how much our refund is.

[DoughtyOne]

Refund?  Slapping my sides with laughter.  Good one.  Best one liner of the day...

We both know when we'll get the refund.  When hell freezes over...


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[Shelayne]

....or infected people are choosing to stay away from the hospitals and families are choosing to bury their own dead.

^^This.^^

Liberia has instituted a policy that everyone that dies of Ebola must be cremated. This is against many of the tribal and religious practices in that region, so the people are hiding the ill and the dead, and there is even a black market for fake certificates of death, with a declaration of "Free from Ebola", so they can have their traditional funerals.

It is way too early to celebrate.

[Tennessee Nana]

are they counting the Liberians with Ebola who are coming here ???

or just the ones who stayed..

[Smokin' Joe]

Ping...

A link to this thread has been posted on the Ebola Surveillance Thread

[null and void]

Because the less infectious strains are better at spreading, right?

Bring out your dead! The Dark Man cometh! Bring out your dead! The Dark Man cometh! Bring out your......

(Since all records of obama's past were lost in a tragic boating accident and fire, no one can be certain that the guy in the red circle isn't him...)

Post to me or FReep mail to be on/off the Bring Out Your Dead ping list.

The purpose of the “Bring Out Your Dead” ping list (formerly the “Ebola” ping list) is very early warning of emerging pandemics, as such it has a high false positive rate.

So far the false positive rate is 100%.

At some point we may well have a high mortality pandemic, and likely as not the “Bring Out Your Dead” threads will miss the beginning entirely.

*sigh* Such is life, and death...

[DannyTN]

Was it the 3 day lock in? If so the other countries should do the same thing.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Good news?

[Arthur McGowan]

Uh oh. Maybe the epidemic will burn out before Obola succeeds in getting one started in the U.S.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[DouglasKC]

Truth: Reporting of Liberia's infection rate declines.

Exactly. What is different now besides this statement? There still is no cure. There still is no vaccine. The culture still hasn't changed. There's hardly anymore doctors of medical infrastructure.

[Prophet2520]

Some of you people are amazing. How are empty hospital beds, where they used to be having to turn people away, a difference in reporting?

Oh sure, everyone who before was clamoring to get in, and were even lying at regular hospitals that they had miscarriages etc. and that is why they were bleeding, have now suddenly had a change of heart and are continuing to spread ebola a greater rates at home, and avoid good healthcare. Yeah, that it sooo much more likely than the infection tide is turning.

I hope when this is all over and everyone in the world isn’t dead of ebola you will see your paranoia for what it is.

[Prophet2520]

Oh, forgot the link to this newer article saying the same.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/as-ebola-declines-in-liberia-health-officials-reassess-response-plans/2014/11/03/88126a4c-6365-11e4-bb14-4cfea1e742d5_story.html