Sierra Leone’s last known Ebola patient gets a dance party
Surrounded by dancing medical staff in the Sierra Leone city of Mankeni, the last person confirmed to be treated for Ebola,danced her way down a red carpet to celebrate her release from an Ebola treatment center.
Adamah Sankoh’s discharge marks the beginning of a 42-day countdown until the World Health Organization (WHO) can officially declare Sierra Leone as being completely cleared of the Ebola virus.
According to the Associated Press, Sankoh contracted Ebola after her 23-year-old son had been infected in the Sierra Leone capital of Freetown before traveling back to his home village. Her son subsequently died from the disease. After responding well to hospital treatments, Sankoh was discharged from the hospital on Monday with an official certificate from Sierra Leone President Ernest Bai Koroma confirming that she now tests negative for the virus.
“Although my child died of Ebola, I am very happy that I have survived today,” Sankoh said as she left the facility, according to the AP.
She also celebrated her release by placing a painted handprint on the wall next to those of other survivors at Mateneh Ebola Treatment Centremark.
No new cases of Ebola have been confirmed for the past two weeks, according to WHO, but President Koroma cautioned Sankoh, “The Ebola fight is not yet over — go and tell members of your community that.”
Dr. Anders Nordström, a WHO representative in Sierra Leone, added: “This is an important milestone for Sierra Leone. But the hard work that got Sierra Leone to this point has to continue.”
Since confirming its first case of Ebola last year, Sierra Leone has reported the highest total number of confirmed cases, though Liberia has reported the highest number of deaths resulting from the virus.
“We might have hidden cases, so we have to continue to be vigilant, continue our surveillance, maintain our discipline of hand-washing and temperature checks, screening and avoid over-crowding,” OB Sisay, director of the situation room of the National Ebola Response Centre told the BBC.
Additionally, new cases can still spring up. Sierra Leone’s neighboring country, Liberia, was declared Ebola-free in May, but new cases appeared less than two months later, according to WHO.
Sierra Leone now needs to go 42 days without any new cases in order to declare that the outbreak is over in the country — the 42-day period is twice as long as the disease’s maximum incubation period of 21 days, the period between exposure to the infection and the appearance of the first symptoms.
If the country makes it through the 42-day countdown, the National Ebola Response Centre will heavily monitor the area for three months.
Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.