North Korea sets up Ebola quarantine as West Africa suffers on November 3, 2014 You might think the world's most reclusive country would be a pretty safe bet when it comes to the risk of an Ebola sufferer turning up there – but North Korea isn't taking any chances. In fact, the country's famously exclusive tourism industry looks set to be hard-hit by the outbreak. Tourists have been banned [...]
Spread of Ebola appears to be slowing in west Africa: Number of new patient admissions in Liberia declines October 29, 2014 The spread of Ebola may be slowing down in Liberia, according to the World health Organisation (WHO). Dr Bruce Aylward, assistant director general of the UN's health agency, said during a news conference earlier today that there had been a drop in the number of burials in Liberia and no increases in laboratory-confirmed cases. [...]
How does Ebola spread? And why is the virus so deadly? Here’s what you need to know October 28, 2014 The Ebola epidemic in west Africa has already claimed the lives of almost 5,000 people across Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, and the World Health Organisation (WHO) has predicted that there could be as many as 10,000 new cases each week by December. The mortality rate from the virus can be anywhere between 50 [...]
How to stop the Ebola virus spreading and end the epidemic: Concentrate on the sickest patients, say researchers October 28, 2014 West Africa is currently in the midst of an Ebola epidemic that has already claimed the lives of almost 5,000 people. It is the deadliest outbreak of the disease ever recorded and according to the latest figures released by the World Health Organisation (WHO) it has caused 10,114 infections and 4,912 deaths since it [...]
How to test for Ebola: Jellyfish DNA on blotting paper could be used to identify virus within 30 minutes October 27, 2014 It could be about to become much cheaper and easier to test for Ebola, thanks to a new identification method involving DNA-programmed blotting paper. A group of scientists in the US were able to detect the virus after discs of paper were embedded with DNA and RNA fragments from jellyfish and other organisms. [...]
Obama under pressure to put a stop to forced Ebola quarantine October 27, 2014 President Obama is under pressure to end the practice of forced quarantines, imposed by some US states on healthcare workers returning from countries affected by Ebola. The row was sparked after volunteer nurse Kaci Hickox became the first person to be held in New Jersey under the measures, despite not showing any symptoms of the [...]
Wolrd Health Organization: Ebola outbreak cases pass 10,000, death toll nears 5,000 October 25, 2014 There have been over 10,000 cases of the Ebola outbreak and nearly 5,000 deaths, the World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed in its latest situation report update. The total death toll from the latest outbreak has risen to 4,922 while the number of recorded cases stands at 10,141. All but 27 of those [...]
10 things we learned this week: From Tesco’s share price and Facebook’s tax bill to cures for Ebola and the EU budget October 24, 2014 What a week. From troubles at Tesco (not least its share price) to Facebook's UK tax bill, we've had a busy front on company news. And when it came to international goings-on, the EU really kept us on our toes, while Ebola continued to dominate the news. Here we digest the top 10 stories [...]
Ebola suit maker Lakeland Industries needs to raise $11.2m to keep up with demand October 24, 2014 Lakeland Industries, the New York-based company which manufactures protective suits used by those treating Ebola patients, has announced plans to raise $11.2m (£7m). The company said it will raise the cash through a private placement of common stock, at $10 per share, with the proceeds going towards paying off its debts and "supporting the increased [...]
Three ways tech is helping fight Ebola using SMS text messages, data and robots October 24, 2014 More than one billion dollars is needed to fight the Ebola epidemic in Africa the UN has calculated. In West Africa where the worst affected countries are located the disease is proving difficult to tackle in the face of widespread poverty and a lack of healthcare. Beyond the emergency humanitarian aid, health workers and soldiers [...]