Concern Over Ebola Outbreak in the DRC
President Donald Trump has expressed his worries regarding the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) following the confirmation of an American case. This outbreak has reportedly led to 131 deaths, as reported by the World Health Organization (WHO).
During an event at the White House about his administration’s TrumpRx website, which offers prescription drug discounts, Trump stated, “I’m concerned about everything.” When probed about the Ebola situation, he mentioned, “I think that it’s been confined right now to Africa, but it’s something that has had a breakout.”
Heidi Overton, the Director of the Center for a Healthy America at America First Policy Institute, noted that one American is showing symptoms of the disease. She also mentioned that this individual, along with six high-risk contacts, would be evacuated from the region to Germany, as the medical facility there is closer for transport.
“We have stood up a full interagency response,” Overton said, referring to coordination among the Department of State, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Department of War regarding the seven individuals involved.
Dr. Satish Pillai, who manages the CDC’s Ebola response, informed reporters that the positive case was confirmed on Sunday. Overton emphasized, “Right now, there are no cases of Ebola in America. We want to keep it that way, and we are doing everything we can to support Americans in the region.”
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed his deep concerns about the epidemic’s scale and rate of spread on Tuesday. However, he advised the World Health Assembly in Geneva not to react too strongly, should confirmed cases rise significantly due to improved surveillance in the area.
“Numbers will change as field operations are scaling up, including strengthening surveillance, contact tracing, and laboratory testing,” he stated.
Meanwhile, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. shared with ABC News on Monday that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is actively working to tackle the outbreak.
