The brave workers battling the worst Ebola outbreak on record are being named TIME Magazine's Persons of the Year. The magazine chose the Ebola fighters based on their "courage, kindness and bravery." The risk of catching the deadly virus is 100 times higher for healthcare professionals working directly with patients in West Africa. The World Health Organization estimates more than 600 healthcare workers have contracted Ebola. Second place went to the Ferguson protesters.

Third place went to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Fourth place was given to Kurdish President Masoud Barzani [[ Mah-sood Bar-ZAHN-ee ]] for his efforts to gain independence for his region, while fighting ISIS militants. Jack Ma, who co-founded Chinese eCommerce giant Alibaba earned the Fifth spot. The company pulled in 25-billion dollars when it went public earlier this year. Pop star Taylor Swift was an early nomination, but didn't make it into the top five.