2015

May 9th Ebola Is Over in Liberia

THE EBOLA OUTBREAK IS OVER IN LIBERIA.

After 42 days without a single case, Liberia has declared the outbreak officially over.

I'm very sorry, but I cannot write up my own little thing about all the facts and details, so here's a part of an article from The Washington Post. 

I am only posting the link to show this isn't plagiarism, I know links don't work on wattpad.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/05/09/in-liberia-ebola-outbreak-is-declared-officially-over/

The worst Ebola outbreak in history is officially over in one of Africa's hardest hit countries, the World Health Organization announced Saturday.

Liberia, the West African nation where Ebola claimed the highest number of deaths in the largest outbreak since the virus emerged in 1976, has gone 42 days without any new Ebola cases, according to a statement released by the WHO.

The 42-day period represents double the maximum incubation period for the virus since the last victim of Ebola was buried.

The announcement marks a return from the brink for Liberia. During the outbreak's peak in August and September, the statement said, the country was reporting from 300 to 400 new cases every week.

At the time, the WHO noted, the virus paralyzed the country of 4.2 million people, leading to canceled flights, fuel shortages and the closing of schools, businesses at health facilities. In the capital city of Monrovia, reports emerged of locals dumping the bodies of suspected victims in the streets while hospitals shuttered because health workers were too frightened to work.

With the nightmare fresh in their memories, officials urged residents not to let their guard down in Ebola's absence.

"We are out of the woods," Liberia's Information Ministry said on its Twitter account Saturday. "We are Ebola free. Thanks to our partners for standing with is in the fight against Ebola. We are Liberians."

Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf on Saturday referred to the devastation endured  by her country as "a scar on the conscience of the world," according to the AP.

For some survivors, she added, "The pain and grief will take a generation to heal."

Following Liberia's announcement, the White House press secretary Josh Earnest released a statement praising the milestone and highlighting the Obama administration's continued support.

"We congratulate the people of Liberia on reaching this important marker, and once again pledge our commitment to ending the Ebola outbreak in West Africa and helping to rebuild Liberia and other affected nations," the statement said. "As President Obama said when Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf visited the White House last month, '"We're proud to partner with you and we intend to see this through until the job is done.'"

Since Liberia's latest outbreak began in March 2014, the country has seen more than 3,000 laboratory-confirmed cases of Ebola and another 7,400 probable cases, leading to more than 4,700 deaths, according to the WHO. A total of 375 health workers were infected and 189 lost their lives.