title: Evaluation of the benefits and risks of introducing Ebola community care centers, Sierra Leone.
abstract: In some parts of western Africa, Ebola treatment centers (ETCs) have reached capacity. Unless capacity is rapidly scaled up, the chance to avoid a generalized Ebola epidemic will soon diminish. The World Health Organization and partners are considering additional Ebola patient care options, including community care centers (CCCs), small, lightly staffed units that could be used to isolate patients outside the home and get them into care sooner than otherwise possible. Using a transmission model, we evaluated the benefits and risks of introducing CCCs into Sierra Leone's Western Area, where most ETCs are at capacity. We found that use of CCCs could lead to a decline in cases, even if virus transmission occurs between CCC patients and the community. However, to prevent CCC amplification of the epidemic, the risk of Ebola virus-negative persons being exposed to virus within CCCs would have to be offset by a reduction in community transmission resulting from CCC use.
authors.forename: Adam J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Kucharski
authors.forename: Anton
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Camacho
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Checchi
authors.forename: Ron
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Waldman
authors.forename: Rebecca F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Grais
authors.forename: Jean-Clement
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Cabrol
authors.forename: Sylvie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Briand
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baguelin
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Flasche
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Funk
authors.forename: W John
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Edmunds
mesh_terms: D003151:Community Health Centers; D003153:Community Health Services; D029043:Ebolavirus; D019142:Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D015233:Models, Statistical; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012807:Sierra Leone / Q000453:epidemiology