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Early detection and community mobilisation remain critical to saving lives, as potential treatments and vaccines are being still being assessed, the UN health agency said on Friday.<\/p>\n
Since 15 May, UN agencies have been supporting both the DRC and neighbouring Uganda to contain the outbreak caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, which spreads through close contact.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt’s a disease that you get when you care for someone, for your husband or your partner or your child or your mother,\u201d Ana\u00efs Legand, a WHO Technical Officer told reporters in Geneva.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou get it when you want to help someone with symptoms, and this is terrible<\/strong>,\u201d she said, explaining that families and friends must be instructed not to touch loved ones who are falling sick<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Ms. Legand highlighted the critical importance of prevention and early access to care, in the face of this particularly deadly disease. Based on previous outbreaks the lethality \u201cranges between 30 and 50 per cent,\u201d she said – \u201cit\u2019s huge.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n While \u201cfive out of 10 people are likely to die,\u201d more can be done to promote recovery, according to the WHO expert.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe can scale up optimized intensive care,\u201d she said. “We can support the communities to recognize the symptoms early to get early diagnostics, so that they can receive the level of care they need.\u201d<\/p>\n Experience shows that Ebola flare-ups can only be controlled when communities are \u201cfully involved\u201d in the response, Ms. Legrand insisted — highlighting a recent case in the DRC where a patient fully\u00a0recovered and was discharged from the hospital.<\/p>\n WHO has gathered experts to review potential treatments and vaccines against the virus, with several products now identified for further assessment.\u00a0<\/p>\n For confirmed cases, three candidate therapeutics for\u00a0treatment \u00a0have been prioritised for clinical trials<\/strong>, Ms. Legand revealed:\u00a0the monoclonal antibodies MBP 134 and maftivimab, and the antiviral remdesivir.\u00a0<\/p>\n30 to 50 per cent chance of death<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Detective work<\/strong><\/h2>\n