The Gates Foundation announced Wednesday they would commit $50 million for increased efforts to stop the Ebola virus. The Ebola outbreak is getting relief in the form of money, which will be spent upon ways to contain and deliver care for the people who need it.
Specifically, they want to contain and prevent further transmission in West Africa. The CEO, Dr. Sue Desmond-Hellman held a Twitter chat @12:30 pm Eastern time on Wednesday after the big announcement. The Twitter chat is in text form and can be viewed on a mobile device. Her initials SDH followed her thoughts, representing directives from the Gates Foundation. The doctors background is in Research and Development from Genentech and she also was a chancellor from The University of California at San Francisco.
The priority is set on patient care with supplies and help to those on the forefront in the field. She wants faster development of drugs and vaccines, while working closely with emergency response teams and respective care centers. Over all this sounds like increased coordination as well for the recent Ebola outbreak..
The Gates Foundation works closely with others like Unicef, CDC and WHO.
One should know that transmission occurs by inadequate protection from a person who has symptoms. Before an individual presents with symptoms they are NOT contagious.
The Unites States has committed $22 million which will fund a 25 bed treatment center and supplies, though not personnel. The U.S. has contributed a $100 million over all.
Atlanta once again was the recipient of a patient with the Ebola virus. The male American citizen came from Sierra Leone and will be treated at Emory University Hospital. An ambulance ride by air transported him though his name has not yet been released. The total death toll is now known to be 2,300 cases from Ebola, with 4,200 known cases reported.
The deadly Ebola virus causes fevers and internal bleeding in organs. Humans can catch the virus through body fluids of other infected humans or animals. More trained staff are needed in the way of doctors, nurses and physician assistants. USAID has a website for people to sign up to go work there. The UN has said when a treatment center opens it floods with patients right away. Fear is spreading along with the real threat.
Stephen Doe, a street artist has made a mural to help communicate the symptoms to his people in Monrovia, the capitol of Liberia. Simple and to the point it showcases these symptoms of Ebola using pictures. The wall is painted red like blood.
Scientists are not sure but suspect fruit bats have infected monkeys and other rodents, which then migrated and brought Ebola from Central Africa to Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone. The Democratic Republic of the Congo likely contains the most animals infected with the Ebola virus. An Oxford study is predicting more Ebola outbreaks in 15 other countries surrounding The Democratic Republic of the Congo. For now, the Ebola outbreak due to the deadly virus is getting relief from organizations and foundations from around the globe and the hope is for containment of new cases with proper care of the people sickened by Ebola.
By Kim Troike
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