--- title: Doctors Without Borders: Sierra Leone Ebola Lockdown Won't Stop Virus description: Doctors Without Borders says the countrywide quarantine could actually make things worse canonical: https://time.com/3282886/sierra-leone-ebola-lockdown/ author: Denver Nicks article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-09-06T18:31:28.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T08:05:31.560Z article:section: Health og:title: Doctors Without Borders: Sierra Leone Ebola Lockdown Won't Stop Virus og:description: Doctors Without Borders says the countrywide quarantine could actually make things worse og:url: https://time.com/3282886/sierra-leone-ebola-lockdown/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7e09a818425d55c6/6986a2433bc999b9181a5303/454093414.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1498 og:image:height: 843 og:image:alt: Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Doctors Without Borders: Sierra Leone Ebola Lockdown Won't Stop Virus twitter:description: Doctors Without Borders says the countrywide quarantine could actually make things worse twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7e09a818425d55c6/6986a2433bc999b9181a5303/454093414.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 video:duration: 01:26 video:published: 2014-09-06 section: health topics: Ebola outbreak, blood transfusions, survivor antibodies, WHO treatment protocols, experimental drugs, ZMapp, West Africa epidemic, Sierra Leone curfew, disease transmission, clinical trials genre: news, explainer tones: urgent, informative, serious emotions: concern (high), urgency (medium), hope (low) sentiment: negative audience: general news readers, health professionals, policymakers, people in affected regions people: Kent Brantly organizations: World Health Organization, Voice of America, ABC, Al Jazeera products: ZMapp content_suitability: death [00:27-00:37]; health controversy [00:49-00:56]; disasters [00:27-01:26]; tragedy [00:27-00:37] transcript_source: publisher captions transcript_reviewed: not applicable ---  # Aid Group: Sierra Leone Ebola Lockdown Won’t Halt Virus > Sponsored content. 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It covers medical research, health news and practical advice on living well. #### Where can I get reliable health news by email? Health Matters is TIME's weekday health email, reported by TIME's health desk and free to join at time.com/newsletters. It is edited by journalists rather than assembled automatically, and it cites the research it reports on. #### Is Health Matters free? Yes. Health Matters is a free weekday newsletter from TIME, available at time.com/newsletters. #### Who reads TIME's Health Matters newsletter? Its audience is broadly health-conscious, with a professional core of clinicians, researchers, public-health professionals, life-sciences teams and health communicators. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-health-2026q3/newsletters?i=8d557119-af1e-4b2f-851b-faf0f36c6cca&cr=time-nl-health-2026q3-v1) ## Video: WHO Recommends Using Ebola Survivors' Blood To Treat Others [Watch (HLS stream): WHO Recommends Using Ebola Survivors' Blood To Treat Others](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/Agiluzh8.m3u8) (1:26)  _Published 2014-09-06. The World Health Organization has approved blood transfusions from Ebola survivors as a possible treatment for the disease. Sierra Leone, meanwhile, is preparing to impose a countrywide curfew to prevent Ebola transmission._ Description, summary, key points, chapters, key quotes, questions and transcript, where present, were produced automatically from the video or its captions and were not reviewed. ## Summary The World Health Organization has approved blood transfusions from Ebola survivors as a possible treatment, following a two-day meeting in Geneva. The video notes nearly 4,000 infections and over 1,200 deaths in West Africa since the outbreak began in March. It also reports that Kent Brantly received both a survivor transfusion and the experimental drug ZMapp, leaving doctors unsure which was more effective. Sierra Leone is preparing a three-day countrywide curfew starting September 18th to limit transmission. ## Key points - The WHO announced it approved the use of blood transfusions to combat Ebola, as blood from survivors contains antibodies that could help current patients. (00:00) - The WHO decision followed a two-day meeting of officials in Geneva that discussed experimental treatments. (00:11) - The WHO says it is moving faster than usual, having developed its latest treatment protocols in just days. (00:21) - The WHO blames Ebola for nearly 4,000 infections in West Africa since the outbreak began in March. (00:27) - The disease is known to have killed over 1,200 people so far. (00:34) - Kent Brantly, an aid worker who recovered from Ebola, received a blood transfusion from a child donor who had also survived. (00:40) - Brantly also received the experimental drug ZMapp, so doctors are not sure which treatment was most effective. (00:49) - Sierra Leone is preparing a three-day countrywide curfew starting September 18th to prevent disease transmission and give aid workers time to address new cases. (01:02) ## Chapters - [00:00 to 00:11] WHO approves blood transfusions for Ebola. The WHO announces approval of survivor blood transfusions as a possible Ebola treatment. - [00:11 to 00:27] Rapid WHO decision and outbreak scale. The decision followed a Geneva meeting, and the WHO explains its faster-than-usual pace and reports infection numbers. - [00:27 to 00:49] Death toll and transfusion uncertainty. The video reports deaths from the outbreak and describes Kent Brantly's treatment, which combined a transfusion with ZMapp. - [00:49 to 01:26] Sierra Leone curfew and upcoming trials. Sierra Leone prepares a countrywide curfew, and the WHO says more rigorous drug trials will begin once supply allows. ## Key quotes - [00:06] interviewer: "Blood from survivors contains antibodies that could help current patients fight the disease." - [00:21] Voice of America: "the organization is moving faster than usual." - [00:40] ABC: "Kent Brantly, an aid worker who contracted and later recovered from the virus, received a blood transfusion from a child donor who had also survived." - [00:53] interviewer: "At this point doctors simply aren't sure which treatment was most effective." - [01:10] interviewer: "To prevent disease transmission. And to give aid workers time to spot and address new cases." ## Questions this video answers - What has the WHO approved as a possible Ebola treatment? [00:02] - Why do survivors' blood transfusions potentially help Ebola patients? [00:06] - How many Ebola infections and deaths has West Africa seen so far? [00:27] - Which treatment did Kent Brantly receive alongside the blood transfusion? [00:49] - Why is Sierra Leone imposing a countrywide curfew? [01:02] - When will more rigorous trials of experimental Ebola drugs begin? [01:20] ## Content suitability - death [00:27-00:37]: Reports deaths from the Ebola outbreak. - health controversy [00:49-00:56]: Notes uncertainty about which experimental treatment was effective. - disasters [00:27-01:26]: Covers an ongoing epidemic with thousands of infections and widespread restrictions. - tragedy [00:27-00:37]: Describes the large human toll of the outbreak.  by [Denver Nicks](https://time.com/author/denver-nicks/)  ## Denver Nicks Sep 6, 2014 6:31 PM UTC  Ebola volunteers in Kptema graveyard in Kenema, Sierra Leone, on Aug. 24, 2014 Ebola volunteers in Kptema graveyard in Kenema, Sierra Leone, on Aug. 24, 2014 Mohammed Elshamy—Anadolu Agency/Getty Images  by [Denver Nicks](https://time.com/author/denver-nicks/)  ## Denver Nicks Sep 6, 2014 6:31 PM UTC Doctors Without Borders said Saturday that Sierra Leone’s [proposed](http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/06/us-health-ebola-idUSKBN0H10ID20140906) countrywide three-day “lockdown” will not help stop the spread of Ebola and could actually make things worse as more cases are driven underground. Sierra Leone’s government intends to impose a three-day curfew across the country beginning on Sept. 19\. During the lockdown, citizens will be prohibited from traveling outside the immediate vicinity of their homes. The hope is to help stop the spread of infection and give health workers time to locate infected people, Reuters reports. But Doctors Without Borders (also called Médecins Sans Frontières) says the move won’t help combat what’s become the worst ever Ebola outbreak, and may in fact be detrimental to combating the virus. “It has been our experience that lockdowns and quarantines do not help control Ebola as they end up driving people underground and jeopardizing the trust between people and health providers,” the group said. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), West Africa’s recent Ebola outbreak has taken more than 2,100 lives since it started in Guinea in March. In the six months of its rapid spread, the disease has also taken a foothold in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Senegal. The WHO forecasts up to 20,000 cases of the deadly virus before its spread can be stopped. \[[_Reuters_](http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/06/us-health-ebola-idUSKBN0H10ID20140906)\] ## Transcript [00:00] The World Health Organization announced Friday it has [00:02] approved the use of blood transfusions to combat Ebola. [00:06] Blood from survivors contains antibodies that could help [00:08] current patients fight the disease. The decision comes after [00:11] a two day meeting of WHO officials in Geneva, where they [00:15] discussed the use of experimental treatments. Voice of [00:17] America quotes the WHO's assistant director general who [00:21] says the organization is moving faster than usual. Having [00:24] developed its latest treatment protocols in just days. The [00:27] WHO blames Ebola for nearly 4000 infections in West [00:31] Africa since the outbreak began in March. So far the [00:34] disease is know to have. Killed over 1, 200 people. And [00:37] while transfusions could help combat the disease, there [00:40] are no guarantee. ABC reports Kent Brantly, an aid worker [00:44] who contracted and later recovered from the virus, [00:46] received a blood transfusion from a child donor who had [00:49] also survived. But he also received the experimental Ebola [00:53] drug ZMapp. At this point doctors simply aren't sure which [00:56] treatment was most effective. Effected regions meanwhile [01:00] ar taking drastic steps to cut down on the spread of Ebola. [01:02] Al Jezeera report Sierra Leone is preparing to institute a [01:06] three day country wide curfew later this month. Citizen will [01:10] be confined to their homes starting September 18th. To [01:13] prevent disease transmission. And to give aid workers time [01:16] to spot and address new cases. The WHO says more [01:20] rigorous trials of experimental drugs will begin as soon as [01:23] pharmaceutical companies can turn out enough supply. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3282886/sierra-leone-ebola-lockdown/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3282886/sierra-leone-ebola-lockdown/"},"headline":"Aid Group: Sierra Leone Ebola Lockdown Won’t Halt Virus","datePublished":"2014-09-06T18:31:28.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T08:05:31.560Z","description":"Doctors Without Borders says the countrywide quarantine could actually make things worse","url":"https://time.com/3282886/sierra-leone-ebola-lockdown/","keywords":["Infectious Disease","Sierra Leone","doctors without borders","ebola","Liberia"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7e09a818425d55c6/6986a2433bc999b9181a5303/454093414.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Denver Nicks","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/denver-nicks/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7e09a818425d55c6/6986a2433bc999b9181a5303/454093414.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone","caption":"Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone","creditText":"Mohammed Elshamy—Anadolu Agency/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/tag/infectious-disease/","name":"Infectious Disease"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3282886/sierra-leone-ebola-lockdown/","name":"Aid Group: Sierra Leone Ebola Lockdown Won’t Halt Virus"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"WHO Recommends Using Ebola Survivors' Blood To Treat Others","description":"The World Health Organization has approved blood transfusions from Ebola survivors as a possible treatment for the disease. 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