Key facts
- Most of the 13 U.S. treatment centers in a government-funded network are ready to handle Ebola patients.
- The U.S. is building a 50-bed Ebola quarantine facility in Kenya for Americans exposed to the virus.
- Protests in Kenya have led to at least two deaths, and a Kenyan court ordered a block on construction.
- The U.S. has spent hundreds of millions of dollars on Ebola preparedness since the 2014 outbreak.
- Nine of the 13 U.S. treatment centers confirmed they can receive patients exposed to Ebola.
Most of the 13 U.S. treatment centers within a government-funded hospital network designed for severe infectious diseases are prepared to handle patients, including those with Ebola, according to hospital representatives. This readiness comes as the U.S. continues construction of a 50-bed Ebola quarantine facility in Kenya, intended for Americans exposed to the virus, despite ongoing protests in Kenya that have resulted in at least two deaths and a Kenyan court order blocking construction. The U.S. State Department has stated that symptomatic Americans would be quarantined in Kenya, while asymptomatic ones would be brought back to the U.S. for treatment. The U.S. has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in its health system's preparedness for Ebola since the 2014 outbreak, with the current network receiving approximately $21 million annually. Nine of the 13 centers have confirmed their ability to receive patients exposed to Ebola, requiring them to maintain specific protocols, training, and equipment. Healthcare officials and former CDC officials have raised concerns that the Kenya facility could pose health risks and hinder recruitment for outbreak response, arguing for domestic treatment instead.