On December 29, 2015 Guinea became the latest country to be declared free of new Ebola cases! This announcement is an exciting milestone in beating the Ebola epidemic that began in March 2014.
The Canadian Red Cross responded to the outbreak by deploying doctors, nurses and other aid workers, donating material goods and resources and providing funds to help cover some of the costs associated with this operation. We’ve talked a lot about Ebola and how the Red Cross has been helping since the outbreak began, now that we’re closer than ever to the end of the epidemic, we’re looking back at some of our favourite blogs we shared:
Fight Ebola by spreading facts, not fears
The outbreak of Ebola caused a lot of fear – and a lot of that was due to myths and misinformation about the virus. As part of the operation, the Red Cross shared facts about Ebola throughout West Africa. We encouraged Canadians to learn more about Ebola, and to share messages across social media to help dispel some of these myths as well.
Ebola response: Hands-on in a world without touch
This guest post by Red Cross communications aid worker Gwen Eamer explored one of the challenges of fighting Ebola – having to limit touching, from a small hug to touching your own face.
Staying safe while responding to the Ebola outbreak
Responding to a global health emergency requires serious precautions to protect the health of Red Cross staff and volunteers. Protective clothing, goggles, masks, gloves and more are used to help keep aid workers safe while they do their work. You can learn more about the gear and methods Red Cross workers use in this blog.
Tears fog up my protective goggles: Canadian nurse writes from Ebola treatment centre
Patrice Gordon, a nurse practitioner from BC, shared about her highs and lows while she worked at the Red Cross Ebola treatment centre in Kenema, Sierra Leone in this guest post.
Stories of surviving Ebola
As we know, Ebola is serious and often fatal in communities with limited medical care. The medical response to the outbreak meant that patients were able to be treated and had a chance to survive the virus disease. This blog post shares some survivors stories, including some of the stigma associated with those treated for the disease and the ongoing support the Red Cross provided.
Looking for more content? You can find more about the Canadian Red Cross’ work during the West Africa Ebola operation
here.