(NBC NEWS) - Time magazine has selected the Ebola fighters, who have fought to contain the deadliest Ebola outbreak in history, as its 2014 Person of the Year.
The title, according to the magazine, goes to an individual or group who, for better or worse, has had the biggest impact on the world and the news over the course of the previous year.
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As the disease rages on in West Africa, the doctors, nurses, ambulance drivers and first responders have played and continue play an integral role in fighting the disease at its source, working to stop an epidemic in an era of globalization.
To date there have been more than 17,000 Ebola cases in this outbreak, leading to more than 6,000 deaths.
On Wednesday, Time revealed multiple versions of the cover on TODAY — each highlighting a different Ebola fighter to represent the group.
Among those featured on the covers: Ebola survivor Dr. Kent Brantly, Dr. Jerry Brown, nurse aide and survivor Salome Karwah, MSF volunteer health promoter Ella Watson-Stryker, and ambulance team supervisor and survivor Foday Galla. The issues will newsstands Friday.
The Ebola caregivers were selected over other influential newsmakers on Time's shortlist, including Taylor Swift, the Ferguson protesters and Vladimir Putin.
The Ebola fighters follow Time's 2013 Person of the Year selection, Pope Francis.