Uganda applies well-honed lessons to new Ebola outbreak

Uganda, which has been lauded for its response to the coronavirus, drew lessons from the first Ebola outbreak in 2004 that it and other countries can apply now.

When a feverish 24-year-old patient with convulsions, chest pain and bleeding eyes sought treatment at the Mubende Regional Referral Hospital in Central Uganda on Sept. 15, emergency staff swiftly isolated him, according to the country's Health Ministry. The man, who was not named by officials, was later confirmed to be the first Ugandan case of the Ebola virus’ Sudan species in 10 years.

His death four days later sent shivers throughout the world. The United States began screening travelers from Uganda on Oct. 6 at five of its airports and alerted health care workers to raise awareness about the outbreak. The World Health Organization said it was “concerned that there may be more chains of transmission and more contacts than we know,” Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters Wednesday.

Meanwhile, at least 60 people have contracted the virus, resulting in at least 44 deaths, the WHO said Wednesday. But experts believe the actual number may be much higher.

The administration was initially hesitant to admit the outbreak, which jeopardized public support. The virus started spreading early in August and officials described it “a strange illness.“

But within a few weeks, once the first death was confirmed and amid fears the outbreak might overwhelm the country’s health care system, officials swiftly moved to contain the outbreak and placed its epicenter under a 21-day lockdown Oct. 15.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/uganda-ebola-pandemic-lessons-who-rcna52522

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