The Ebola epidemic that began in late 2013 and claimed more than 11,000 lives over two years has been stamped out in the West African nations that bore the brunt of the virus’ devastation. Its brutal effects, however, are still felt among those left reeling from mass outbreaks that brought Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone to an emergency standstill at the height of infection.

On Monday, HBO is airing a trio of short documentaries about the disease: “Ebola: The Doctor’s Story,” “Body Team 12” and “Orphans of Ebola.” Each story invites viewers to look at the disease at its various nerve centers: in and out of treatment tents, doctors’ quarters, victims’ homes, makeshift hearses. It’s a bracing confrontation, but one that injects a needed dose of humanity into a subject that tends to be treated antiseptically, through distance, abstract language and other luxuries available to those with geography (and money) on their side.

Watch a preview of the Ebola trilogy below (via HBO):

Click here for a timeline of the outbreak and treatment efforts by the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation. Microsoft co-founder Allen’s production company made “Body Team 12,” which was nominated for a 2015 Academy Award.

—Posted by Kasia Anderson

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#disease#ebola#epidemic#hbo#video#west africa