Document Type
Journal Article
Publication Date
3-2015
Journal
Emerging Infectious Diseases
Volume
Volume 21, Issue 3
Abstract
In some parts of western Africa, Ebola treatment centers (ETCs) have reached capacity. Unless capacity is rapidly scaled up, the chance to avoid a generalized Ebola epidemic will soon diminish. The World Health Organization and partners are considering additional Ebola patient care options, including community care centers (CCCs), small, lightly staffed units that could be used to isolate patients outside the home and get them into care sooner than otherwise possible. Using a transmission model, we evaluated the benefits and risks of introducing CCCs into Sierra Leone’s Western Area, where most ETCs are at capacity. We found that use of CCCs could lead to a decline in cases, even if virus transmission occurs between CCC patients and the community. However, to prevent CCC amplification of the epidemic, the risk of Ebola virus–negative persons being exposed to virus within CCCs would have to be offset by a reduction in community transmission resulting from CCC use.
Creative Commons License
This work is free of known copyright restrictions.
APA Citation
Kucharski, A.J., Camacho, A., Checchi, F., Waldman, R., Grais, R.F. et al. (2015). Evaluation of the benefits and risks of introducing Ebola community care centers, Sierra Leone. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 21(3).
Peer Reviewed
1
Open Access
1
Comments
Emerging Infectious Diseases is a U.S. Government publication and is in public domain within the United States.