The Saskatoon epidemiologist who is near the epicentre of the Ebola outbreak in Liberia says Canadians have little to worry about when it comes to the Ebola virus.
Saskatoon epidemiologist Dr. Bruce Reeder (Courtesy Dr. Bruce Reeder)
Dr. Bruce Reeder, is working with Doctors Without Borders in Voinjama, Liberia. He said public health officials in Canada are taking the Ebola threat seriously.
“I would be surprised if there were any transmission in Canada with a case that arises because of this level of preparedness,” he said.
Reeder is optimistic that eventually the disease will be contained in Liberia. He said the treatment centre where he works was seeing 100 new patients a day in July. That number is now down to 10 or 20 a day.
He said it is harder to control the spread of Ebola in the cities because of the density of population. Reeder said ambulance drivers are often reluctant to go into slums, where many of the Ebola cases occur.
“The drivers are concerned for their safety and their health and of course there’s often violence in the slums. So people who need care aren’t getting it, ” he said.
The villages meanwhile, are much more vigilant, he stated. “They have a big jug of Javex water, chlorinated water out for washing their hands. They are careful who comes into the community.”
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