The official count of Ebola cases in West Africa has dropped sharply in recent weeks. That is the good news. The bad news: sources on the ground say the real numbers are far higher.
The official tally only counts those who reach a clinic. Thousands more die in villages where no one is counting. UK health officials are quietly bracing for a hidden surge.
They know the disease spreads through bodies, through handshakes, through the air in a crowded room. The problem is that people are still dying. They are still being buried without proper protection.
The virus is still out there, hiding in remote communities. The numbers may fall, but the danger remains. As one source put it: 'The virus doesn't need a passport.
It doesn't need an invitation. It just needs a host.' UK officials are on high alert.
They are tracking every case. They are preparing for the worst. But the worst may already be here.
The numbers are a trick. They give false comfort. The real story is the one the officials aren't telling.
The hidden danger. The bodies in the bush. The virus that won't go away.
This is not over. It is far from over.
