Ebola Bundibugyo Sunday Facts

Admitted at Bundibugyo:  15, including Dr. Sessanga whose sister just came to our house looking for Scott because he’s no longer responsive; the matron (head nurse); the nurse who was working in the isolation unit Fred; a clinical officer named Joshua Kule; and an ophthalmic assistant.  Among the other patients are six direct contacts (mother, brother, wife, daughter and two friends) of Muhindo Jeremiah who died just over a week ago.

Admitted at Kikyo:  8 as of yesterday, haven’t heard today.

Died:  official number is 18.  Likely higher, hard to say.

Calvary:  Still en route, but expected any minute.  They slept in Fort Portal last night.  There is a 17 person team from combined MSF branches (Belgium, France, Spain, etc.) including the doctor who was in charge of the recent outbreak in Congo.  They have two doctors, four nurses, and a wide variety of other staff who won’t see patients but do logistics, education, investigation.  Even an anthropologist.  The CDC lab team arrives in the country Tuesday night.  They say they’ll be up and running for labs in Entebbe (Uganda Viral Research Institute) by Thursday, possibly even Wednesday evening.

Jonah:  I just talked to his sister, she says there is definite improvement since yesterday.  We heard he had a positive malaria smear, so it is possibly not Ebola.  But then he developed more symptoms, so we are waiting for a confirmation.  His blood sample is with the CDC in Uganda, not yet reached America.

Team:  OK.  We had a prayer and discussion time this morning.  As team leaders we are leaning towards sending out non-medical staff and children, to be cautious.  Scott and Scott zipped up to Bundibugyo again mid-meeting to do an emergency C section, but by the time they got the mother into the OR the baby had died, and she then delivered the still-born vaginally.  So you could, in a public health sense, count that as another Ebola casualty.  As soon as they got out of that they were called to see a motorcycle accident victim, a lady with severe facial trauma and fractures they need to refer to Fort Portal, but probably can’t because she’s a family member contact of an Ebola survivor (one of the cases Scott has been following the last two weeks).  He was actually driving the motorcycle when it crashed.  It is incredibly complicated.

Community:  the churches have called for an all day prayer meeting in our Community Center on Wednesday, which is a really encouraging sign, I hope many people come and pray. There were educational videos shown outdoors in the market last evening.  Anxiety is mainly high among the health center staff, with good reason.  One of our staff just came and brought me a chicken and said goodbye—she’s from Arua, and she wants to escape with her children while she can . . . Schools are closing a week early, and CSB is sending kids home tomorrow.  Ndyezika’s wedding has been postponed, and likely others will too, a real blow to marriage since after years and years there are more wedding planned for December (six that I’ve been invited to) than the last several years combined.