Surviving Ebola Our World

It is the worst public health emergency of modern times. More than

11,000 people killed by Ebola. Families destroyed. How does that

make you feel? It makes me feel tired again and fed up. The outbreak

in Sierra Leone is over, but there's new battle. The neighbours didn't

talk to you? Stigma and shame. She has all but lost her sight now.

Unexpected after-effects. And fears over what will happen to the people

who survived Ebola. I am back on the road in Sierra

Leone. I want to meet the people I visited when I was here at the

height of the Ebola outbreak. And see they're coping now. We're

heading to a hill station village. I was here over a year ago and at that

time the community were working really hard to keep safe. They were

using disinfected and were very clear on how Ebola was spread. One

year on we are heading back to see how they fare now, whether they

managed to keep Ebola away from their village. It is quite a bumpy

road up this hill, but I am looking forward to seeing them all. Joyce!

How are you? Can I hug you? Joys and her colleagues were on the front

line of this fight. -- Joyce. She lost three friends who were nurses.

Back then, touching was strongly discouraged. Tell me what happens

next. At that time, when you came, nobody was infected. But I think in

September... About September, we started to have casualties. We had

one room, next door, who was infected. -- one woman. How many of

them there died? 15 of them died. Only this was the survivor. 15 died

in the community? Yes, in about two months. When was that? I came in

October last year. November. November, December. Soon

afterwards? Yes. He was the only survivor. Two households were

infected in this village. Ibrahim's was one of them.

How many members of your family did you lose?

He wanted to show me his home. His family rented the entire house, but

now he lives in this tiny room, relying on handouts from neighbours.

All his possessions were destroyed for fear they could harbour the

deadly virus. It must be very difficult for you to

sleep here every night. I can't imagine what that's like,

Ibrahim. I am so sorry. I don't know what to say. I'm so glad that you

are getting some help here, some real help. I know that you have a

very difficult road ahead. But tell me about your hopes for the future.

When I was welcomed into this community the year ago I followed

volunteers as they went door-to-door handing out soap and telling people

what to do if a family member became sick. There are efforts meant only

Ibrahim's and one other household were infected. It could have been

much worse. These are community heroes. Medics

and volunteers who worked tirelessly to keep Ebola at bay. But it's taken

its toll. When you hear the thoughts of stories we've heard today, how

does that make you feel? It makes me feel tired again and fed up. Because

I remember back. I am really exhausted from the stories I heard.

Exhausted from the outbreak? Yeah. What's been the most difficult part

of it for you? The most difficult part is some of my closest woman,

children, were lost and today we went to the house again, remembering

them. It is the most difficult part for me. Do you feel like you were

able to help your community here? Yes, I was able to help. And I think

I tried my best. Yes. The outbreak in Sierra Leone may be

over but there are many uncertainties. 4000 people survived

this disease, but no one knows the long-term effects. We know the virus

can linger on in some survivors. Scientists are testing body fluids,

including semen, Euratom, breastmilk and even tears, to find out how it

can persist in the body and crucially whether it can spread. --

urine. This is the most dangerous part, because they are making sure

the virus at this point isn't infectious? Yes. And they must do it

in the Cabinet. Not outside of it. The main area is not permitted for

doing this kind of activation. Until this outbreak it was thought Ebola

could stay in semen for only three months. Now we know it can linger

for at least nine months. It is because these fluids, and others,

are kept in parts of the body where the immune system is weaker, so the

virus can hide there. The work happening here is taking the world

to a whole new level of scientific understanding about Ebola. We

already knew the virus is one of the deadliest on the planet, what the

scientists here are trying to figure out is whether it could also be one

of the most enduring. There has been on known case where a woman was

infected eye a survivor six months after he recovered. -- by a. It is

while male survivors are told to use condom is. New mothers are also

advised against breast-feeding. -- condoms. What people are concerned

about is whether we will see a resurgence of disease and whether

you might be having reservoirs of the virus in survivors that may

potentially cause infection later. This country is desperate to move on

from Ebola. Sierra Leone was already one of the poorest countries in the

world, the blossoming economy plummeted and the already weak

health system crumbled. # Happy birthday to you... # a happy

birthday. She, like all the women here today, is lucky to be alive.

But survival is bittersweet. A pregnant woman died. She was

looking after her? The trauma is compounded by the

stigma and suspicion all these women now face in their communities.

What have been the challenges for you after surviving?

problems, many survivors have been reporting further physical

complications. This woman has just arrived at one of the very few

survivors' clinics. She can barely see.

She is checked over and immediately referred for further treatment. She

has all but lost her sight now. The medics here are taking her as an

emergency to a nearby are a clinic to try and do what they can at this

very late stage. -- eye clinic. This is one of the key after effects

reported by survivors, along with joint pains and extreme fatigue.

Mbinti is considered one of the lucky ones. She lives in the capital

were some help is available. The medical charity Medecins Sans

Frontieres will pay for some of her treatment. Mbinti has just been

examined. We are now waiting to find out what the problem is, whether

they can do anything to help her. She has just had some eyedrops but

in and we will wait and see what happens next. It is not clear what

causes this site problems. One American Ebola survivor reported

similar issues. Tests revealed there was still traces of the virus inside

his eyeball. She finds it difficult to concentrate when the eye is

exposed to bright light, so it irritates her, so she has to close

her eyes. Yes, she has eyedrops to mitigate this effect but she is

still finding it difficult to open her eyes. Mbinti is still in pain

but doctors believe she will get her site back.

I don't feel very well. I have got some problem with my eyes. They

would you refer me to? At this military hospital in the capital, a

facility that saved hundreds of lives during the outbreak, work

continues to monitor the condition of survivors. Today, health workers

are being taught how to take fluid samples from patients. Doctor

Susannah McDonald is one of the lead scientists looking into how Ebola

lingers on in the body. It is very important that we gather as much

evidence as we can and as much data as we can because that is ultimately

what will lead to the reduction in stigma, but persistence in the virus

is something that we only to very mindful of. This is the largest

epidemic we have ever seen with the largest number of survivors, so if

we are going to get to and stay at a resilient zero, we have to make

informed decisions. Given the early findings of your research so far, do

you feel it would be to early to declare Sierra Leone free of Ebola?

At the beginning of this epidemic, 42 days without being sufficient for

such a declaration. That is two successive incubation period. What

we are now saying is you need an additional 90 days on top of that

with heightened surveillance. Out of the thousands of survivors, only a

couple of hundred are giving regular samples. Most don't know if they

pose a risk to themselves or to their families. But the World Health

Organisation says any risk to others is low. I'm giving plasma, I'm

giving semen. I'm doing this because I want to know my statement, if I'm

totally free from the virus. It must be very frightening. Seriously. You

can find it in your semen, you can find it in your bodily fluid. You

cannot have sexual relations with any other person until they say you

are free from all of the virus. The World Health Organisation is also

investigating a number of cases where people died after recovering

from Ebola. I have returned to another village in Freetown to meet

the family of Bassi. I don't know if you remember me but I was here on a

very difficult day for your family in January. Do you remember? Yes.

What can you remember about that day when your father passed away?

How was your father after he recovered? What condition was he

in? Because he survived Ebola. And what would you want to know

about your father? I was here the day her father's body

was taken away. Her family will probably never know what actually

killed him, a re-emergence of Ebola or something entirely unrelated.

What is this? This is rice? Yes. Tasty? Yes. Just have it plain? Yes.

Is it sweet? Yes. Tasty? Yes. Just have it plain? Yes.

Is it sweet? Yes. Her father had been the main breadwinner. Now she

sells snack food outside her home to help support

sells snack food outside her home to help support her family. And how do

you remember your father? What are your memories of him?

This is the first time she and her sister have been able to visit their

father's gravesite. A silent prayer and so many unanswered questions. I

have been covering this outbreak for the last 18 months in Sierra Leone.

Finally it is over. I have seen terror and great loss but also

bravery and great strengths. Victoria was Sierra Leone's first

Ebola survivor. Maeli is hopefully the last.

And how are people treating you now?

And what about you? Ebola is finished now in Sierra Leone. How do

you feel about that? 221 health workers died fighting

Ebola in Sierra Leone. Tonight, they are remembered by candlelight. As

the country celebrates the end of the outbreak. Sierra Leone knows it

is in uncharted territory but one thing has always been true of

Ebola. It is a tenacious virus intent on making a comeback.

Welcome to the weekend, but what a wild, windy start to the weekend.