Kenya discharges last Ebola patient, starting 42-day countdown to Ebola-free status
Health Minister Aden Duale says the countdown ends Dec. 23 if no new cases appear, while Congo's government reports 11,042 infections and 5,387 deaths.
Kenya discharged its last Ebola patient on Wednesday, Nov. 11, and began a 42-day countdown to being declared free of the disease. Health Minister Aden Duale announced it in Nairobi. The countdown ends Dec. 23 if no new infections are recorded.
Kenya confirmed its first case on Oct. 6, a man who had traveled from Congo through Uganda. Nine cases were confirmed in all. The first patient passed the virus to four family members and four health workers.
Seven patients recovered and two died, the first patient and his mother. Officials identified 135 contacts of the first patient, and the health ministry says all cases stayed in one cluster with no community transmission. Duale said prevention measures will continue.
Kenyans arriving from affected areas must spend 21 days in quarantine. Elsewhere, Congo's government said 11,042 people have been infected and 5,387 have died in the outbreak, which began in May and is caused by the Bundibugyo strain. It also spread to Uganda and Nigeria.
Saudi Arabia announced an indefinite suspension of visas on Oct. 30, and Duale urged countries with travel restrictions to reconsider them.
- 42-daycountdown to Kenya being declared Ebola-free, ending Dec. 23ABC News
- nineconfirmed Ebola cases in KenyaDeutsche Welle
- 135contacts identified for Kenya's first patientABC News
- 11,042people infected in Congo, by the government's countABC News
- 5,387deaths in Congo, by the government's countABC News
Three sides of the story
Liberal3 outlets
Kenya's recovery set against a climbing regional outbreak
ABC News opens with the discharge and the 42-day countdown, then sets Kenya's recovery against a region where cases "topped 11,000," with Congo's government counting 11,042 infections and 5,387 deaths. Al Jazeera's headline says Kenya "awaits disease-free status" and gives space to the fallout: Saudi Arabia's indefinite visa suspension, announced Oct. 30, which hit hundreds of Kenyan workers heading to the Gulf, and the health ministry's appeal that it reconsider. It also reports Duale's 21-day quarantine for citizens arriving from Congo and the airport gate set aside for travelers from 10 countries.
ABC has Duale saying the 42-day wait is twice the longest incubation period. The New York Times calls the milestone "further evidence" that African countries have "mostly succeeded" in preventing community transmission and isolating cases from Congo.
Center2 outlets
A milestone for Kenya and what the countdown requires
BBC News calls the discharge a "major milestone" and notes the patient was the seventh to recover. It quotes Duale: "seven patients have recovered - and all contacts have completed their follow-up monitoring." Africa CDC chief Jean Kaseya is quoted calling it "an encouraging moment for Kenya and for Africa."
BBC adds the World Health Organization rule that 42 days must pass, Duale's call for countries to reconsider travel and visa limits, his statement that Kenya will not act as a quarantine site for other nations, and the UAE easing visa limits for Ugandans. Deutsche Welle's headline says the last patient "leaves hospital." It reports that the final patient had 11 contact cases who will also face 21 days of quarantine, quotes the health ministry on "no community transmission recorded," and says Kenya will be declared Ebola-free on Dec. 23 if no one else shows symptoms.
It then gives Congo's 11,000 cases and 5,387 deaths, and one case in Nigeria.
Conservative0 outlets
Outlets on the right gave the story little coverage.
Which side made the stronger case?
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- Date of Kenya's last confirmed case
- Al Jazeera English: last case recorded Oct. 19
- BBC News: no new confirmed cases since Oct. 20
All sources: 5 articles from 5 outlets
Liberal (3)
- ABC News: Kenya discharges last Ebola patient, beginning countdown to Ebola-free declaration
- Al Jazeera English: Kenya discharges last Ebola patient, awaits disease-free status
Center (2)
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