Prominent doctor dies from Ebola after treating dozen of patients

FREETOWN — A prominent and praiseworthy doctor who has risked his own life to treat dozens of Ebola patients died on Tuesday from the Ebola disease. Dr. Sheik Humarr Khan, who was admired as a national hero for treating the EBola disease in Sierra Leone. He was pronounced dead by health ministry officials of Sierra Leon. Before he passed away, Dr. Khan had been confined in quarantine in Sierra Leone.

Two American health workers are presently hospitalized with Ebola in neighboring Liberia. Ebola virus spreads through  a direct contact of bodily fluids such as sweat, blood, urine and saliva. In hospitals, health workers are more vulnerable to the virus as they are close to the bodily contact with the patients.

The Ebola epidemic is the largest in history with its number of deaths accused on the disease in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea and Nigeria. As of now the disease has the fatality rate of 60 percent. It has still no vaccine and no specific cure.

The chairman of the Liberia Airport Authority board, Binyah Kesselly said police are now dispatched at the airport in Monrovia to impose screening of passengers.

On Tueday, ASKY airline released a statement  that it was temporarily halting flights not only to Monrovia but also to Freetown, Sierra Leone. Flights will resume in the capital of the third major country where people have died out of disease.ASKY is just making sure to keep its passengers and staff safe during this worrying time.

The actions follow the death Friday of a 40-year-old American man of Liberian descent, who had been on several flights on ASKY, initiating widespread fear of an outbreak that shows no signs of reducing in West Africa. The man was named Patrick Sawyer, who worked for the West African nation's Finance Ministry. He  took an ASKY Airlines flight from Liberia to Ghana, then on to Togo and finally to Nigeria where he was directly confined to quarantine until his death.

His sister also died of Ebola though he assured that he had not had a close physical contact with her when she was sick.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization says the danger of travelers contracting Ebola is considered on its lower level because it requires direct contact with bodily fluids unlike flu as it can be spread through unexpected contact or breathing in the same air.