Sierra Leone had already embarked a while ago on an unprecedented, almost medieval, quarantine of large swaths of the country, trapping a third of its citizens in their home districts. Travel between districts is restricted, and there are curfews within districts in an attempt to limit contact between people, but it is wreaking havoc with the economy and daily living.

According to this NYT's article, the government has now made it national policy that it acknowledges it can't help everyone and that people should take care of people with Ebola at home. Basically, it means that most people with Ebola there are on their own.

Quote:
Acknowledging a major “defeat” in the fight against Ebola, international health officials battling the epidemic in Sierra Leone approved plans on Friday to help families tend to patients at home, recognizing that they are overwhelmed and have little chance of getting enough treatment beds in place quickly to meet the surging need.

The case of the Spanish nurse illustrates how one simple accident can lead to infection. Well, the reality is, so many people with Ebola have been tended to at home anyway which unfortunately has led to many more infections.

As long as Ebola rages in West Africa, it will continue to be a recurring threat over here. As we enter cold and flu season in the Northern Hemisphere and fevers and other symptoms become more common, I just hope the fear factor doesn't go off the chart.