Fears of a potential Ebola pandemic: America considers establishing a quarantine facility for its citizens in Kenya.
Ahmed Salem
It seems that the ghost Ebola virus The incursion into the Democratic Republic of Congo has put Americans residing there at risk of infection, a matter which the US administration has taken upon itself and has already begun taking serious steps to secure its citizens and transfer them to Kenya in case they become infected.
According to people familiar with the matter, the administration of US President Donald Trump is expected to deploy American health officers to Kenya to operate a health facility specializing in quarantine there.
The facility is intended to primarily house American citizens who have been exposed to the virus or are at high risk of contracting it in the region, according to the Wall Street Journal.
In this regard, a US administration official said that the facility in Kenya will operate with state-of-the-art health capabilities designed for Americans who will need to leave the Democratic Republic of Congo quickly and enter quarantine, without the need for a lengthy transfer back to their country.
Proactive measures to contain a potential pandemic
This move is a proactive measure by which international and local health officials are working to contain a potential outbreak of a rare strain of Ebola in Congo.
It is worth noting that no confirmed cases of Ebola virus have been recorded in Kenya so far, even though it is the third largest outbreak in history, just weeks after its possible start.
Unlike previous Ebola outbreaks, in which the US administration worked to transfer its citizens to the United States for monitoring or treatment, this time decision-makers saw fit to direct Americans potentially exposed to Ebola to other countries.
It is noted that an American doctor contracted the virus while working in Congo last week and was airlifted to Germany. Additionally, an Air France flight from Detroit to Canada was diverted last week due to concerns that a passenger might have been exposed to Ebola.
Travel restrictions to limit the spread of Ebola
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) previously stated that the risk of Ebola spreading among the general population in the United States remained low, yet the Trump administration was quick to impose restrictions on travel from countries affected by the outbreak.
Last week, the United States announced that it would suspend the issuance of visas to any travelers from South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, or Uganda within 21 days, including legal permanent residents, prior to their scheduled travel to America.
Ebola outbreak in Congo
It is noted that the Democratic Republic of Congo has recorded at least 930 suspected cases of Ebola, including 223 deaths, in addition to 7 cases and one death in Uganda, according to the World Health Organization.
Health authorities expect that the virus may have infected a much larger number of people across a wider geographical area, after spreading undetected for weeks.
