Fears of the deadly Ebola virus, previously only rampant in Africa, have revived fears when Patrick Sawyer, a plane passenger died from the virus. His sister had succumbed to the virus weeks ago, and he had boarded a flight from Liberia to Nigeria. Health workers are now frantically tracing all the people he had contact with on the flight.
With travel becoming more frequent today, illnesses are no longer contained in their source country, and such worries are not unfounded.
The virus is hard to detect in early stages, as symptoms can take from 2 to 21 days to appear. Issuing travel advisory to the sick is therefore virtually unhelpful as the victims may not even be aware that they have been infected by the virus in the first place. According to WHO, this illness is often characterized by the sudden onset of fever, intense weakness, muscle pain, headache and sore throat. This is followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, impaired kidney and liver function, and in some cases, both internal and external bleeding.
There is currently no cure or immunisation for it. Depending on the type of strain, some victims are able to make full recovers while others die from it.
That is not to say that one should get all panicky about it. The disease is only transmitted through close contact, via blood, secretions and other bodily fluids and discharge, including urine and faeces. Patrick Sawyer had been vomiting and having diarrhoea on the plane, which led to concerns of transmission. But most people are usually not in any real danger of contracting the virus unless they are health care workers or researchers who are often in close vicinity of the victims or their samples.
To reduce risks of contracting this disease:
- Avoid travel if you exhibit any of the above symptoms, even if you feel well enough. Your immunity is low when you're not in top form, and that increases the risk of falling ill.
- See a doctor if you exhibit any of the above symptoms, and avoid close contact with others. With people going places these days, even if you yourself have not travelled, you may meet someone who has travelled to the affected region and is a potential carrier of the virus. Be responsible to yourself and your loved ones.
- Practise good basic hygiene, including washing hands, wearing a mask when sick, covering your mouth when sneezing, and use of protective equipment when advised or when necessary.
- When abroad, avoid close bodily contact when possible, especially with people you don't know. Take a leaf out of the Obamas' books and fist-bump instead of shaking hands. Avoid touching animals too. Fruit bats are considered natural hosts of the Ebola virus.
But perhaps the only things that can truly prevent this disease from wrecking havoc in its African host countries, brings hope for a cure or vaccination against this virus are intangible things like education, communication and research. If you're like to support the cause, Doctors Without Borders is one reputable organisation helping to battle humanitarian emergencies.
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