The scare following a ‘false alarm’ about an Ebola case in Lesotho in recently was thankfully discovered to be a simulation, according to that country’s authorities.
However, the incident has shone a spotlight about the need for societies, particularly young people to equip themselves with vital information about the diseased which has claimed a significant number of lives in some countries in the African continent.
Ebola is a rare but deadly virus that causes fever, body aches, and diarrhoea, and sometimes bleeding inside and outside the body. The virus spreads through the body, it damages the immune system and organs. Ultimately, it causes levels of blood-clotting cells to drop. This leads to severe, uncontrollable bleeding.
Treatment includes an experimental serum that destroys infected cells.
Doctors manage the symptoms of Ebola with:
Fluids and electrolytes
Oxygen
Blood pressure medication
Blood transfusions
Treatment for other infections
There are five types of Ebola virus. Four of them cause the disease in humans.
In SADC cases of people having contracted the virus have been reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). However, there is a window of hope as health authorities in the DRC this week began using a second vaccine to fight the deadly virus, according to Doctors Without Borders (MSF) charity.
The vaccine is aimed at about 50, 000 people over a period of four months. More than 250, 000 people in the region have already received doses of another anti-Ebola vaccine since August 2018.
Sometimes it’s hard to tell if a person has Ebola from the symptoms alone. Doctors may test to rule out other diseases like cholera or malaria.
Tests of blood and tissues also can diagnose Ebola.
If you have Ebola, you’ll be isolated from the public immediately to prevent the spread.
Following are vital information about Ebola:
The best way to avoid catching the disease is by not traveling to areas where the virus is found.
If you are in areas where Ebola is present, avoid contact with bats, monkeys, chimpanzees, and gorillas since these animals spread Ebola to people.
Health care workers can prevent infection by wearing masks, gloves, and goggles whenever they come into contact with people who may have Ebola.
If you have Ebola, you’ll be isolated from the public immediately to prevent the spread.
You can’t get Ebola from air, water, or food. A person who has Ebola but has no symptoms can’t spread the disease, either.
Early on, Ebola can feel like the flu or other illnesses. Symptoms show up 2 to 21 days after infection and usually include: high fever; headache; joint and muscle aches; sore throat; weakness; stomach pain; and lack of appetite.
