According to Yonhap News on June 20, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that as of June 19, 75 healthcare workers have been infected with Ebola, and 17 have died.
Sky News reported that when the Ebola outbreak was officially confirmed on May 15, the virus had likely been spreading in the community for weeks prior. This suggests that early medical personnel may have been exposed to the virus while treating patients without realizing they were infected.
The Democratic Republic of Congo has a severe shortage of healthcare workers, with only about 11 per 10,000 people.
Dr. Marie Roseline Belizaire, WHO's Emergency Response Director, stated, "About 90% of Ebola patients do not show hemorrhagic symptoms in the early stages," adding that many patients are self-treating at home or seeking traditional healers, which increases the risk of further infection.
She expressed concern that the healthcare system in the Democratic Republic of Congo is paying a heavy price.
The WHO has assessed the current Ebola outbreak as still being in a serious situation.
To date, there have been a total of 896 confirmed Ebola cases and 232 deaths in the Democratic Republic of Congo. However, experts believe that the actual number of infections may be higher than official statistics due to low healthcare access and difficulties in identifying infected individuals.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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