As the United States scrambles to contain the virus in the mainland while preventing possible infected persons from getting in, Samantha Power, the country's ambassador to the United States and one of President Barack Obama's cabinet members, will be flying to West Africa.
Samantha Power left Washington on Saturday, October 25. Her West African itinerary will begin in Guinea, where she is set to arrive by Sunday, then to Sierra Leone and Liberia. These three places continue to register the highest number of new Ebola cases and deaths since the outbreak late 2013. She will also visit the UN's headquarters for the Ebola response team, which is found in Ghana. The team is responsible for coordinating all efforts in fighting Ebola.
Before she left, she faced reporters where she said that gaining personal knowledge directly from the affected countries has more weight than the very minimal risk of getting infected if only she will follow protocols and take the necessary precautions.
Her departure came at a time when the Republicans were calling for a total travel ban, which the White House doesn't necessarily agree as it may only prevent those who are capable in helping in the Ebola efforts from doing so.
The United States is currently facing a lot of worry and fear after the country has confirmed four Ebola cases, including two Dallas nurses who took care of Eric Thomas Duncan, the first patient to be diagnosed of the virus about a week after his arrival from Liberia. The two nurses, Amber Vinson and Nina Pham, were already declared to be virus free, although Vinson had to continue staying in Emory University Hospital for more care.
A doctor, Craig Spencer, was diagnosed of the virus early this week after he returned from Guinea where he worked as part of the Doctors without Borders.
According to the World Health Organization, the Ebola virus has already killed almost 5,000 people.