Five people have died from Ebola in Uganda, and another 19 deaths were likely linked to the disease, informed the president on Wednesday. However, he rejected the imposition of a lockdown because Ebola is easier to manage than COVID-19.
The outbreak of the deadly hemorrhagic fever was announced more than a week ago, sparking fears of a significant nationwide crisis. Currently, no vaccine exists for the Sudan strain of the Ebola virus that is causing havoc in the region.
President Yoweri Museveni said in a televised address, that the 19 deaths, apart from the ones confirmed to be from Ebola, could be attributed to the disease as they showed symptoms of Ebola but no samples were taken for any confirmation before their deaths.
He said that among the other confirmed infections were six health workers, including four doctors, one anesthesiologist, and one medical student.
Ebola mainly spreads through contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person. The viral disease has symptoms including intense weakness, muscle pain, headaches, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, and rashes, among others.
The Ebola Sudan strain, according to the World Health Organization, is less contagious and has a lower death rate than its cousin Ebola Zaire, which killed close to 2,300 people in a 2018–20 epidemic in the adjacent Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The most recent illnesses appeared in central Uganda’s Mubende district. Since then, two more districts have been affected.
