Ebola Update
The Gist
It has been reported that the last person being treated for Ebola in the United States has been released. Although, some are still being monitored to make sure they don’t have the disease, the United States seems to be Ebola-free. Of the staggering NINE people who contracted the disease (the United States is home to 316,100,000 people) ONE died of the disease. Close to 5,000 people have died in West Africa in the past six months. Aid is coming in, but for many it is too little, too late…and now you know the gist.
The Hajj
The Gist:
Millions of Muslims are converging on the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia for the five day Hajj. Mecca is holy to Muslims because it is both the birthplace of the Prophet Mohammad and where he is said to have received his first revelations from God. Hajj is the generic term for the pilgrimage to Mecca that every able Muslim must make in their lifetime. Along with 1) professing there is no god except God, and Muhammad is God's Messenger, 2) praying five times a day 3) giving 2.5% of one’s income to the poor and 4) fasting and during the holy month of Ramadan, it is one of the “five pillars” of Islam. This year, over 2 million people will take part in the Hajj. The number would be higher, but Saudi officials refused to issue visas to various Ebola-hit countries. The large numbers of pilgrims has seen a reshaping of the city, including the construction of one the tallest buildings (pictured) in the world. It has also seen the destruction of historical locales for the sake of modernization….and now you know the gist.
The Ebola Outbreak
The Gist:
Ebola was first reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the 1970s and is spread when a person comes in direct contact with an infected person. Normally the disease has a 90% mortality rate, but this time around it stands at about 50%. Symptoms at first include fever, intense weakness, and headache and are followed by vomiting, diarrhea, impaired kidney and liver function and internal and external bleeding. Always a big deal, it become a HUGE deal when a Liberian citizen contracted the disease and came to the U.S. aboard a flight via Brussels and Washington. Initially told to go home, he went back and U.S. officials confirmed he had Ebola and he has been in critical condition in a Dallas hospital ever since. Although he came in contact with dozens of people, including school age children, none have shown symptoms yet....and now you know the gist.
