August 12, 2014
Zaina Kahuk
News Writer
Headlines
The World Health Organization decided to use untested and unproven drugs to combat the Ebola virus. WHO states that 1,013 people have died since March in the virus outbreak. They estimate that the virus kills over half of those afflicted with the disease. “Over the past decade, research efforts have been invested into developing drugs and vaccines for Ebola virus disease. Some of these have shown promising results in the laboratory, but they have not yet been evaluated for safety,” WHO said in a statement. The WHO panel of scientist will determined if stringent meets ethical criteria and if the drugs should be used. “These (criteria) include transparency about all aspects of care, informed consent, freedom of choice, confidentiality, respect for the person, preservation of dignity and involvement of the community,” WHO said. So far the results of the drug vary. An American man improved dramatically after his first dose, an American woman also improved after the second dose, and a Spanish priest who was to receive a dose of the treatment died Tuesday. It is still unclear as to whether the drug was responsible for his death.
