EBOLA IN NIGERIA: DEAD ON ARRIVAL. Although its not yet uhuru (freedom) from Ebola and as they say in Nigeria, it is not over, until it is over yet we have many reasons to believe that the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) has become dead on arrival or what the medics describe as DOA or Brought in dead (BID) in medical parlance. However, it didnt just become a still birth without unprecedented coordinated efforts from both the Lagos State Government and several Federal Government Agencies. Not in recent history have we seen partisan politics wrapped and stowed away to allow patriotism work, for once in Nigeria like this one. Even the ravaging Boko Haram Islamic sect that takes joy in slashing the throats of infidels the same way that it enjoys slaughtering Muslim faithful elicited the level of espri de corps or the spirit of oneness. This water tight cooperation has helped to contain the disease as only those who had contacts with Charles Tailor, sorry, Patrick Sawyer have been confirmed infected more than 21 days after. The period is significant because Ebola infection manifests between two to 21 days after infection as a result of contact with the virus. Prompt public enlightenment led to early isolation, monitoring and quarantine of those suspected to have had contact with now diseased agent of death whose activities and actions showed that he had a personal goal of bringing calamity to Nigeria. From the National Council on Health which is the highest policy making organ in the health sector, we have learnt that Sawyers victims werent only the medical team members that attended to him but also a protocol officer who obliged the late Sawyer the use of his mobile telephone. The guy also contacted the virus. How can his kindness kill him? There is God o! So, with those information, we became wiser and willing to moderate our behaviors. Also, the council has told a story of how 10 members of a family died of EVD in Sierra Leone after they had buried an infected person. With this, Nigerians became aware that dead bodies are even more potent vectors of the diseases. The precaution came to a climax last week when the Anglican and Catholic churches issued orders that the usual hand shaking as part of the church service and the direct giving of the holy communion in the mouth should be shelved for now. Now, interstate and cross border movement of corpses are banned with anybody wanting to do that being required to get a certificate that will not only show the cause of death but an assurance that the corpses would not infect other passengers. I cant see anybody risking to issue such certificate. We also now know from the council those who are also vulnerable and at risk outside the medics and caregivers: • Market women & other women groups, •Patent medicine vendors, •Road transport workers, • Fishermen, •Hunters and bushmeat sellers, • School children, •Morticians and mortuary attendants • Traditional healers and • Faith based groups. If we avoid physical contacts with the sick and the dead we wont have Ebola because only the sick (from Ebola infection) and the dead (killed by Ebola) can transmit the Ebola disease. Since we now know that knowledge is power, we are now armed to the teeth to fight the scourge and thats why it is dead on arrival. A look at the recent outbreaks in Africa before the current one will show that Ebola can be contained and has been contained in Nigeria. 2012 Zaire 57 cases 29 dead 51% 2012 Sudan 7 cases 4 dead 57% 2012 Uganda 24 cases 17 dead 71% 2008 Zaire 32 cases 14 dead 44% 2007 Uganda 149 cases 37 dead 25% 2007 Zaire 264 cases 187 dead 71% Instead of dying in fear, lets collectively resolve that the last ten people or so infected will be the last that will be infected by keeping to simple hygiene and obeying instructions from the authority. I feel that the worst is over. Hopefully.
Posted on: Wed, 13 Aug 2014 15:24:38 +0000
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