Liberians cope with the fear and realities of Ebola

MONROVIA, Liberia -- It's hard to escape the fear surrounding Ebola.

Like every public place in the Liberian capital these days, church goers must first wash their hands in chlorine bleach before going inside.

The choir at the Providence Baptist Church tries to raise flagging spirits, even as doctors use the pulpit to convey vital information.

"When people are cleared from the Ebola virus, they are not infectious," Dr. Emmanual Ekyinabeh tells the congregation.

Doctor Dan Lucey is from Georgetown University and is one of the world's top virologists. He works at a clinic run by Doctors without Borders. He tells us many Liberian health care workers are often ostracized.

"There is a very strong stigma against people who have either had an Ebola infection or anyone else in their family has it or if you work in a Ebola treatment center like this one," Lucey says.

Despite the daily tragedies, staff here embrace the slivers of hope -- like patients who survived Ebola. Now they dip their hand in paint, a mark of defiance against a deadly disease.

Lucey describes us about a family he helped treat who thought their three year old was going to die:

"Fortunately, her mom and dad were here but they were also both quite sick," Lucy recalls. "But they recovered quite adequately and took turns, mom and dad took turns helping the three-year-old daughter and now today it is one of the best days of my life, because they survived."

Working on the front lines of Ebola clearly takes an emotional toll.

"But it is worth it. Happy to be here," Lucey tells us, through his tears.

These stories of survival are all the more incredible when you consider the conditions doctors like Dan Lucey work under. The protection gear is unbearably hot, they dehydrate quickly -- so much so that when they come of the isolation wards their boots are full of water and they can lose up to five pounds a session