Friday, Jul 25, 2014 6:27 PM UTC
A woman with deadly Ebola virus escapes quarantine, now loose in a city of 1 million
The deadly virus has killed 660 people across Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea since February
Topics: ebola, Health, West Africa, World Health Organization, Sierra Leone, freetown, Innovation News, Sustainability News
A woman who tested positive for the deadly Ebola virus is now on the loose in a Sierra Leone city with a population of around 1 million people. The woman had been quarantined in a hospital in Freetown, Sierra Leone, when she was “forcibly” removed by her family, according to Reuters.
Officials are appealing to the residents of Freetown to locate this woman. Since February, the Ebola virus has been responsible for the death of 660 people in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone. The virus has a 90 percent death rate, according to the World Health Organization, however, this particular outbreak seems to have a 60 percent mortality rate.
Radio announcements pleaded with the public to find this woman.
“Saudatu Koroma of 25 Old Railway Line, Brima Lane, Wellington. She is a positive case and her being out there is a risk to all. We need the public to help us locate her,” the announcement said. Reuters explains:
“Koroma, 32, a resident of the densely populated Wellington neighborhood, had been admitted to an isolation ward while blood samples were tested for the virus, Health ministry spokesman Sidi Yahya Tunis said. The results came back on Thursday.
“‘The family of the patient stormed the hospital and forcefully removed her and took her away,’ Tunis said. “We are searching for her.”
“Fighting one of the world’s deadliest diseases is straining the region’s weak health systems, while a lack of information and suspicion of medical staff has led many to shun treatment.”
