Ebola spreading in Democratic Republic of Congo during coronavirus fight, officials say
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The Democratic Republic of Congo had its hopes dashed this weekend after several Ebola-related deaths were reported, further demoralizing the country as it battles the COVID-19 pandemic.
The country has been fighting an Ebola epidemic since August 2018. An officially tally cited by AFP puts fatalities from the viruses at more than 2,200.
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For an outbreak to be officially declared over, 52 days must pass without any new cases – which is twice the amount of time it takes for the virus to incubate.
Speaking to France 24, Dr. Lusungu Mutuza described the psychological toll the two-front battle has taken on the country.
“Morally it’s very discouraging since we’ve worked for a year and a half, two years, on this epidemic and [we could finally] start to breathe easy,” Mutuza said. “Then suddenly we have to start from zero again. It's a psychological blow.”
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US, AFRICAN COUNTRIES SLAM CHINESE CITY’S MISTREATMENT OF SOME VISITORS AS RACIST
Cleaners on Monday were roaming the streets of Kinshasa – the country’s capital and epicenter of the outbreak. The Palace of the People, which seats the National Assembly and Senate, was also fumigated.
The DRC, with a population of more than 84 million people, is particularly vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic because of its dilapidated infrastructure and inadequate health care services.
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As of Monday, its capital has confirmed 235 cases with 20 deaths, according to the latest figures from the Johns Hopkins University.