biologist lee gehrke is skeptical. >> the disadvantage with fancy technologies is they are fancy technologiesre sent to these countries, if they break what will happen? can they be fixed? >> reporter: a good question in places like cambia where the poverty is crushing. for now dr. otim and colleagues keep visiting the boy and his family once, sometimes twice a day wielding only thermometers. >> i feel very confident we will survive this. we are optimistic we will end up free of ebola. >> reporter: sadly, his brother, the father of the boys died, leaving them orphaned, their quarantine clock is reset. another 21 days of constant surveillance and temperature checks, waiting to learnÑi if they have been spared. long after we leave, we get the word they're all okay. maybe next time the cures will be better and the answers come sooner. miles o'brien, pbs "newshour", sierra leone. >> woodruff: miles' next two reports in his ebola series air next week. tune in thursday and friday. now to the analysis of shields and brooks. that's syndicated columnist mark shields and "new york times" columnist david