The excellent PBS program Frontline has put out an insightful and tragic documentary about life in a Sierra Leone field hospital that has been overwhelmed by Ebola.
And the WHO has recently put out a situation assessment of the state of the virus in Liberia.
Also, I recommend the well-written blog of a Médecins Sans Frontières ("Doctors Without Borders" in the U.S.) obstetrician who until recently was on the front lines.
Together, these items paint a sobering picture of the state of the current Ebola outbreak.
Ebola outbreaks can be halted (and have been halted on the past) through known methods, in particular by isolating sick patients and following up with their close contacts who may have been exposed, as well as by partnering with communities to stop risky behaviors such as funeral practices that involve touching the dead body. Although vaccines and experimental therapies are promising, we need not wait on them. Perhaps with significant investment from the international community, the tide will turn in the battle against Ebola.
