Americans Who Contract Ebola Will Receive Treatment in Europe, Not U.S.
The Trump administration has announced that if additional Americans contract Ebola, they will be sent to Europe for medical treatment rather than brought back to the United States.
Policy Shift on Ebola Treatment
If additional Americans contract Ebola and need medical care, they will be sent to Europe rather than brought home to the U.S., senior administration officials said. The decision marks a significant departure from previous protocols where American citizens with infectious diseases have typically received treatment domestically.
Background on Ebola Outbreak
The WHO declares a public health emergency amid a growing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. The epicenter of the Ebola outbreak is in Mongbwalu, a poor gold-mining town of 130,000 people, in Ituri province, in eastern Congo.
Outbreak Growing Rapidly
The World Health Organization warns cases of Ebola are spreading faster in the Democratic Republic of the Congo than public health workers can respond. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called on neighboring countries to take immediate action, warning the number of suspected deaths from the outbreak has reached 220. Iranians began to regain internet access after authorities ended a monthslong shutdown. Users said service was slow and spotty in some areas, with apps like YouTube and Instagram heavily restricted.
Local Response Challenges
In the eastern Congolese town of Mongbwalu, police fired shots into the air to disperse a crowd that attempted to reclaim the bodies of loved ones at an Ebola treatment center. It's the same city where, last week, people set fire to an isolation tent run by Doctors Without Borders. Community resistance and misinformation continue to complicate containment efforts in affected regions.