Obama urges Congress to approve $6 billion for Ebola fight

(Reuters) – President Barack Obama urged Congress on Tuesday to approve $6.18 billion to help fight the Ebola outbreak, reminding them that even though the story has faded from the headlines, the battle against the virus is far from over. “Every hotspot is an ember that if not contained can become a new fire, so we cannot let down our guard even for a minute,” Obama said. “And we can’t just fight this epidemic. We...

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Mass. General treating possible Ebola patient

BOSTON — Massachusetts General Hospital has admitted a patient who is under investigation for Ebola and will evaluate that patient. According to a memo to hospital staff, someone who was “undergoing routine monitoring by the Boston Public Health Commission,” and was also “under investigation for Ebola virus disease,” was admitted to the hospital at 2 p.m. Tuesday afternoon… (read more)

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General Health Systems Damaged by Ebola in West Africa

GENEVA – The World Health Organization reports the spread of Ebola is having a damaging impact on the delivery of health services for people suffering from other illnesses in the three severely affected Ebola countries in West Africa. And it says one of the root causes of the rapid spread of Ebola in the region is linked to the weakness in the health systems of the three heavily infected countries. Ebola has killed about 6,000 people. But...

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Here’s How to Remove Ebola Waste From a Hospital

When treating Ebola patients, hospitals have more than their patients and workers to protect. It’s their responsibility to properly dispose of anything involved in caring for the patients that might be contaminated—and that includes liquid waste, protective equipment, anything used in the lab, linens, towels, pillows, mattresses and even the curtains used in the patient’s room… (read more)

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WHO says Liberia wrongly added 1,000 deaths to Ebola toll

Dec 1 (Reuters) – A surge in Ebola deaths reported by the World Health Organization at the weekend was due to about 1,000 Liberian deaths wrongly ascribed to the disease that would be removed, WHO assistant director general Bruce Aylward said on Monday. “Liberia’s figures came in but they’ve since said these were actually non-Ebola deaths that were reported as part of our Ebola deaths and we will be taking them off. So...

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No serious side effects in Ebola vaccine test

(Reuters) – The first people vaccinated with an experimental Ebola shot being developed by Merck and NewLink have had no serious side effects so far, but a few experienced mild fever, Swiss researchers said on Tuesday. The shot, one of several being fast-tracked through clinical trials in the hope they can be approved for use in the Ebola epidemic raging in West Africa, is undergoing initial human safety tests at the University Hospitals...

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WHO congratulates Spain on ending Ebola transmission

Today the World Health Organization (WHO) officially declares the Ebola outbreak in Spain over and commends the country on its diligence to end transmission of the virus. On 6 October 2014, the Spanish National Reference Laboratory confirmed the first human-to-human transmission of Ebola virus disease outside Africa in a healthcare worker. The healthcare worker had been part of a team at La Paz-Carlos III Hospital providing medical care for a...

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Ebola is crippling the economies of three countries

The international response to Ebola is still too slow and piecemeal, Doctors Without Borders warned Tuesday, as officials said the disease is crippling the economies of the three West African countries hardest hit. Ebola has infected nearly 17,000 people, of which about 6,000 have died, according to the World Health Organization. The vast majority of infections are in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, poor countries that have been left to handle...

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Strategies for Fighting Ebola

Where do we stand in the fight against Ebola — and what should be done now? Columbia is convening leading experts — from the University and other institutions – to recommend and discuss specific strategies to: Arrest the transmission of the virus and accelerate the delivery of needed care. Marshal the financial resources – and the health care personnel – required to address the crisis. Mobilize and coordinate international, national,...

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