So far, 89 people have been killed by a mysterious new illness emerging from Sudan. As the Delta variant of Covid-19 gets overshadowed by the [Nu-Xi-] Omicron variant, attacking fully vaccinated people right and left, a whole new disease is killing people in North Africa.
New African illness
The World Health Organization sent a team of researchers and doctors into the North African nation of Sudan as scouts, after reports “89 people have been killed already by some strange new virus.”
According to their ministry of health the unknown illness “had killed scores of people in the northern town of Fangak in Jonglei state.”
Making it harder to get teams into the illness epicenter, it’s “one of the worst-hit places on the entire Continent to be afflicted by a recent severe flood.”
WHO medics are being airlifted in by chopper so they can “collect samples from sick people.” Doctors Without Borders already set up a “mobile clinic” in the town of Rubkona.
Reports note that WHO spokesperson Sheila Baya confirmed “a rapid response team” was sent to “do risk assessment and investigation.”
Along with collecting samples they will do what they can for those afflicted with the mystery illness. All they know for certain is that “there were 89 deaths” reported “provisionally.”
Waiting for a lift out
The Scientists are stuck in Fangak until the helicopter or another transport can make it back to the area and extract them to the capital city of Juba, expected Wednesday. Along with the illness comes a food shortage.
“We are extremely concerned about malnutrition, with severe acute malnutrition levels two times the WHO threshold, and the number of children admitted to our hospital with severe malnutrition doubling since the start of the floods.”
Floods have had a devastating impact on more than 700,000 people with food shortages and illness only part of the battle.
The new developments are “putting tremendous strain on what few health care resources are available in the area.”
“Families have been displaced and are sheltering on higher ground, in public buildings or with neighbors or family.
Access to basic services including health and nutrition support has been disrupted as clinics have been damaged, submerged in floodwaters, or are inaccessible.” While they aren’t certain the mystery illness is a newly discovered one, they have ruled out cholera.
