Originally published December 21 2014
Top Ebola doctor dies of same Ebola that CDC insists is 'hard to catch'
by Ethan A. Huff, staff writer
(NaturalNews) One of Sierra Leone's few remaining top health specialists has died after contracting the Ebola virus. Reports indicate that the experimental Ebola drug ZMab had been en route from Belgium to treat the man, known as Dr. Victor Willoughby, but it was already too late, as he had succumbed to the later stages of the deadly illness.
According to Reuters, Dr. Willoughby contracted Ebola after treating a man with organ-related problems. The patient, a senior banker in town, was later diagnosed with the hemorrhagic disease after Dr. Willoughby had already been in contact with him, which resulted in the rapid development of Ebola symptoms not long after.
Dr. Willoughby reportedly tested positive for Ebola on a Saturday and died five days later on Thursday. He was one of Sierra Leone's most senior physicians, according to Al Jazeera, and many other physicians in the country looked up to him for wisdom and advice.
"Dr. Victor Willoughby was a mentor to us physicians and a big loss to the medical profession," stated Dr. Brima Kargbo, Sierra Leone's chief medical officer, to the media. "He has always been available to help junior colleagues."
The 67-year-old senior doctor died just a few hours after the arrival of ZMab from Brussels. The treatment, which was still defrosting as Dr. Willoughby took his final breaths, had previously been shown in a 2012 study on monkeys to kill the Zaire form of the virus, which is considered by experts to be the most dangerous.
11 top doctors in Sierra Leone have died from Ebola
With Dr. Willoughby's passing, the official number of doctors who have died from Ebola in the stricken nation is now 11, with one additional doctor who was diagnosed with the disease still living. According to the World Health Organization, the total number of Ebola infections in West Africa has now surpassed 19,000 with almost half of these in Sierra Leone.
"We all looked up to Dr Willoughby and would consult him on many issues relating to our medical profession," added Dr. Kargbo.
The few remaining doctors in Sierra Leone who are working on the front lines say more foreign aid is needed to tackle the still-burgeoning epidemic. One doctor, who describes Dr. Willoughby as a "very good friend," told Reuters that local staff are struggling to keep up, and that more foreign healthcare workers would be a welcomed relief.
"We've lost personal friends and colleagues we've worked with," stated Dr. M'Baimba Baryoh, a surgeon at Connaught hospital in Freetown, the nation's capital.
"You can talk to someone today and tomorrow they are Ebola-infected. The tension, the depression, it's a lot of pressure. You start having nightmares because of Ebola."
Sierra Leone continues house-to-house searches looking for Ebola; Big Pharma to soon push deadly Ebola vaccines
With little or no progress being made in the fight to halt Ebola's spread, officials in Sierra Leone have continued to rove neighborhoods in the nation's capital looking for hidden cases of Ebola. President Ernest Bai Koroma recently announced a moratorium on all trade between districts, and residents will be prohibited from leaving their homes for Christmas or New Year's.
Meanwhile, vaccine companies are busy trying to commercialize a vaccine for Ebola, with the media conveniently keeping the issue in the news cycle until a profitable vaccine is ready for release. Researchers from the Kenya Medical Research Institute have already begun testing an Ebola vaccine on humans, with an expected fast-tracked approval process.
Those who wish to live through a global pandemic should learn how to get prepared now by listening to the audio chapters at www.BioDefense.com.
Sources:
http://news.yahoo.com
http://www.aljazeera.com
http://www.bbc.com
http://www.nature.com
http://news.xinhuanet.com
http://www.cdc.gov
http://science.naturalnews.com
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