Congo Prepares For COVID-19 After Ebola

The last Ebola patient in Congo received a certificate of recovery (Photo: Twitter @WHOAFRO)

JAKARTA - The last patient treated for Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo was finally discharged, Tuesday, March 3. The World Health Organization (WHO) said the recovery of the patient meant that the Ebola outbreak in Congo which had been going on for more than 19 months would be over.

The patient discharged from a hospital in the eastern city of Beni, greeted by hospital staff with singing, dancing and hitting trash cans instead of a drum. This also marks the first time there have been no Ebola cases since the outbreak was declared in August 2018. After receiving a certificate of recovery, the patient named Semida Masika was very happy to be home.

"Because I was the last survivor, I thank God very much and praise God," he said.

Reporting from Reuters, Wednesday, March 4, the Ebola virus outbreak has killed 2,264 people. The number of casualties that have fallen has made the Ebola outbreak in Congo the second worst in history. The worst case of Ebola was in the 2013-2016 period in West Africa which killed more than 11,000 people.

It's been 14 days in Congo through the days without any new confirmed Ebola cases. An outbreak can be declared over after 42 days have passed without new cases, the equivalent of two 21 day cycles, the maximum incubation period for a virus.

#HealthHeroes in #Beni celebrating the last #Ebola patient in #DRC to be discharged from a treatment center! @WHO congratulates all of our partners. We will remain in full response mode for the remainder of the observation period. pic.twitter.com/Hxjir9EwYL

- WHO African Region (@WHOAFRO) March 3, 2020

WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus praised the development as saying that the good news was not just for WHO, but for the whole world. But a WHO spokesman also warned that the outbreak was not over yet, as tracking Ebola cases in eastern Congo was difficult due to widespread militia violence.

"Due to the complex security environment, Ebola transmission outside the group currently under surveillance cannot be ruled out. One case could re-ignite the epidemic," said WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic.

But as the number of cases declined in February 2020 and was overshadowed by the rapid spread of the COVID-19 virus around the world, WHO said they continued to believe the outbreak was an international health emergency.

The 2018 Ebola outbreak in Congo came after outbreaks in other countries in Africa ended. The dense tropical forests of the Congo are considered to be a major contributor to the outbreak of the disease.

After the Ebola outbreak has ended, Africa is now preparing to face COVID-19. The African Union and the African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention held a ministerial meeting in February 2020 in which Congo was identified among the 13 countries most at risk of contracting COVID-19 due to direct travel links with China.

🚨The #AFROWeekly Health Emergencies Bulletin is out. @ WHO AFRO monitored 71 outbreaks & emergencies in #Africa, including: 🔴 # COVID19 in #Algeria, #Nigeria & # Senegal🔴 # LassaFever in #Benin & # Nigeria🔴 # Ebola in # DRC.➡️https: //t.co/8xfTCE9WHk pic.twitter.com/ml1Um9rj1F

- WHO African Region (@WHOAFRO) March 4, 2020

"Several countries in Africa, including Congo, are increasing the capacity they have built to test Ebola, to test for COVID-19. This is a great example of how to invest in health systems," said WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

The WHO office in Africa this week also held an emergency partnership meeting on COVID-19, which aims to increase engagement and develop effective preparedness and response plans for countries in the region.