Four months into 2020 and it already feels like 5 years have passed us by. Many of us had chosen to go into quarantine over a month ago (myself included). Remote learning is about to hit its first anniversary for many Carolina students this upcoming week. A lot has happened in the last month , to say the least. Even with everything that is happening at the moment with the coronavirus pandemic, it is important to recall other instances in which a pathogen has disrupted way of life and learn from them. There are even epidemics of certain diseases that are still present in the world. Remember the Ebola epidemics? You may not have heard that name in a while, but guess what? They are still present in the world today.
According to an article from The New York Times, what was thought to be the end of the epidemic of the Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo turned out to be a false celebratory event for many. At the beginning of April, there was only one individual who was still infected with the virus. However, it was reported that another individual was recently diagnosed with the disease in one of the cities of the Congo, Beni, 10 days into April. This epidemic has been present in the country for approximately two years (TWO!!). Many healthcare professionals are worried that if this sort of pattern keeps on reoccurring, it may take much longer to get rid of the virus once and for all in that area of the world. It is mainly passed from one person to another through the blood and other bodily fluids. Even as an infected individual has recovered from the disease, the virus can still be present in the blood and other fluids of the body. Signs and symptoms can include muscle pain, fever, headache, and even internal bleeding. With the rise of the presence of the coronavirus in that area, as well as in countries surrounding it, the turnout can be detrimental to the country, which has already felt the pressure of the Ebola virus for the last two years. Another 42 days (at least) will need to be added onto this epidemic timeline – that is, if the number of new cases stays put at zero.
From an outsider’s point of view, this news is quite alarming. The fact that they have been battling this virus for almost 2 years now is such a scary notion. While this may be because the Democratic Republic of the Congo is one of the least developed countries in the world, it shows us how bad the spread of a virus could become for people in other parts of the world. The Congo also has a very fragile government, which could be one of the contributing factors to why the situation the country is in has been getting better very slowly. We are considered really lucky here in the United States – conditions are much cleaner and there are resources and medical equipment that are present for individuals to use if they need to (for the most part). Let us not take that for granted!
According to an article from the Médecins Sans Frontières (or known to us as Doctors Without Borders), the Democratic Republic of the Congo has dealt with ten disease outbreaks, including the current Ebola epidemic taking place, in less than 50 years. There have been over 3,000 individuals who have reported to be infected since the beginning of this particular epidemic. It is extremely difficult to track down who had or had not been in contact with an infected individual because there was inaccurate reporting. Other countries in Africa, such as Uganda, had reported new cases back in 2019. However, since 2020 has began, there have been no reports of any additional individuals who have been infected. Within the last six months, security has been an issue and has lead to individuals who have been fighting the Ebola epidemic through the Doctors Without Borders program to have to leave the area. Back in December of 2019, the military personnel started appearing in hospital settings, making a lot of individuals, including doctors, feel unsafe, forcing them to withdraw from their programs in the country. The current Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, or the Kivu Ebola epidemic, marks one of the largest Ebola epidemics in the history of the world.
As we can see from the last six months in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, tensions have been growing throughout the country surrounding the Ebola epidemic. The fact that there are members of the military force present in a place to treat sick people is quite frightening. I believe the efforts to combat the virus would be much more effective and efficient if the government was not so unstable. Now, one of the things that healthcare professionals are worried about now is not only their safety, but also the safety of the individuals in this country because of the impending rise of coronavirus cases. It seems like the country has never gotten a break from disease outbreaks in the last two years. In a way, the work of a healthcare worker is never done. I believe it is possible for the Democratic Republic of the Congo to rid its country of the Ebola virus once and for all because it was possible to do that in Uganda, which was involved with this epidemic at the same time as the Congo. However, how long that will take is up to the virus.
Melanie Nguyen's Microbiology Blog 