Guinea has already released 68 people from Ebola quarantine, the last batch so far, on Saturday, Nov 14, as the country is gearing to be declared Ebola free following a week of no detected or reported case.
The latest crisis on Ebola, a fatal viral disease that can spread among people through contact with bodily fluid, has badly hit three Western African countries: Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. Overall, the outbreak had affected more than 20,000 people and killed no less than 11,000. It also hurt the countries' already weak economies and health care systems with schools closing for long periods.
Today Sierra Leone and Liberia have already been declared by the World Health Organization as free of Ebola on Nov 7 and Sept 3, respectively. As to Guinea, it has been a huge challenge.
The last set of people who have been quarantined came from the district village of Forecariah in Conarky, the country's capital, who may have come in contact with a family that has been infected by the virus. Among the infected family, at least one woman, Mamasta Soumah, 25, died after birth. The baby, dubbed by reports as Little Nubia, is now the remaining Ebola patient that is being treated by a Doctors without Borders facility. The other two children had also become patients. It's expected that the baby will be released free of the disease by next week.
While there are no more quarantined people, one person who had contact with the family is currently lost to follow-up, according to WHO, which means the risk of reported cases still remains. The team is set to end their follow-up on Saturday. Per WHO guidelines, Guinea should have no reported cases of Ebola within the next 42 days to be declared Ebola free, although the organization has imposed a surveillance period for 3 months following reports of Ebola in Liberia.
Meanwhile, the Brazilian man who came from Guinea and was initially believed to have caught the virus upon return has already tested negative twice. He's been diagnosed with malaria instead.