WHO: Ebola Cases Could Reach 20,000 By November

Ebola cases could soar dramatically, according to the World Health Organization, with as many as 20,000 new cases by November if nothing changes, but U.S. officials are predicting even sharper figures, according to the New York Times.

The WHO revised its numbers on the West African Ebola outbreak Monday, predicting the increase if there is not a strong uptick in prevention and treatment.

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Roughly 5,800 people are sick because of the virus and 2,800 have died, but the WHO warned that those numbers may be merely scratching the surface for what is to come.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention painted a bleaker picture Tuesday, reporting that the virus is still spreading that there are not enough hospital beds, health workers, or even basics like soap and water in West African countries like Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia.

"We're beginning to see some signs in the response that gives us hope this increase in cases won't happen," Christopher Dye, WHO's director of strategy and coauthor of the study published by the New England Journal of Medicine, told The Associated Press. "This is a bit like weather forecasting. We can do it a few days in advance, but looking a few weeks or months ahead is very difficult."

President Barack Obama has promised to send 3,000 military personnel to Liberia and to construct 17 100-bed hospitals to help ease the overcrowding, but that help does not seem like it can come soon enough for the country.

"My gut feeling is, the actions we're taking now are going to make that worst-case scenario not come to pass," Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, the CDC director, told the Times. "But it's important to understand that it could happen."

There are some signs of progress with a new new treatment center opening up the Liberia's capital of Monrovia on Wednesday. The U.S. has also promised 400,000 kits with gloves and disinfectant for Liberian families to care for patients at home, noted the Times.

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