According to The World Health Organization's latest estimates nearly 2,000 people have died from an Ebola outbreak that has hit Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea particularly hard. Desperate times have lead to drastic measures needing to be taken in order to get the outbreak under control before it spreads and ravages people in other countries as well. Officials in Sierra Leone have announced a country-wide lock down that will take place Sept. 19-21. Residents of the country will be confined to their homes during that time and medical teams will go from door-to-door looking for hidden patients.
Country officials believe that many Ebola patients have refused to come forward due to the stigma attached. They also think that potentially being quarantined for treatment has prompted several who are beginning to have symptoms to go underground rather than coming forward to get treatment. Sierra Leone medical officials are hoping that my quarantining the entire country they can diagnose remaining patients and attempt to get the outbreak contained and slowly but surely under control.
Health officials believe that it is a general mistrust of health workers that has caused patients to go underground and has prompted family members to hide suffering rather than to reach out for help. Some sources believe that locking down an entire country for 72 hours will ultimately be far less effective then simply educating the locals on how Ebola spreads and what the risks of hiding a patient actually are.
Do you guys think that by quarantining Sierra Leone in its entirety the officials will be able to get a handle on the Ebola outbreak or will it just push those suffering or showing early symptoms further into hiding? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!
