EBOLA IS HERE IN LAGOS: HERES WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW This is different from my usual articles, which are usually on mental health, for obvious reasons: its about a realtime problem—its on right now. And I wanted to provide a place where people can get basic helpful info on this issue. And after all, Ebola isnt going to be the end of us: we can Rise Above It. So less than 24 hours after the sad news that Sheikh Umar Khan, the 39 year-old doctor from Sierra Leona who has been leading the fight against Ebola, had himself contracted the virus, we hear that its right here. At home. In Lagos. Obalende area, to be precise. Channels TV reported a few hours ago that a 40 year Liberian man is being treated as a possible case of Ebola infection. The hospital where the man is on admission has been cordoned off (as part of the quarantine done in any case of Ebola is detection). And the Lagos state government has made a press statement about it. Should you be scared? No. Not because Ebola isnt serious, but because fear doesnt work. We dont need fear. We dont need panic. We need to take action. The government has already started by making informing us. Its our move now, yours and mine. Get informed. And then get the info out to everyone you care about. Here are possible signs of Ebola you need to know about: It typically starts with flu-like symptoms: general feeling of being unwell (feeling somehow) increased body temperature sore throat and headache weakness joint, muscle and chest pain Basically, the person might feel like they have what most of us Nigerians usually think of as malaria symptoms. Like I said, these are are the ones it typically starts with. Others include: Throat infection: sore throat, hiccups, feeling like youre out of breath. The nervous system can be affected: headaches, confusions fatigue, and even seizures and coma. Skin: rash, bleeding below the skin surface (haematomas—and when they are large, ecchymoses). (This bleeding is not a good sign, by the way.) One more thing to note: the way Ebola spreads is by exposure to body fluids(blood, sweat, saliva, mucus, tears—and yes, semen and vaginal secretion). It is not known to spread by AIR. Ill repeat that: EBOLA IS NOT KNOWN TO SPREAD BY AIR. So relax—you dont have to hold your breath. What can you do to protect yourself? I know, this is what you really want to know. Wash your hands. Often. With soap and water. Avoid close contact with anyone who is sick, and be careful with anything they have touched. If possible, dont touch it, and if you must, be sure to wash your hands thoroughly after. (And you dont wash your hands just any way: youll find a link to exactly how to do it at the end of this post.) Urge anyone you know who develops ANY sickness AT ALL (or yourself, if youre the one) to get to a hospital FAST. For now, dont take any sickness lightly. Remember this thing starts out looking like your regular common cold or malaria. Share and spread the news to everyone you know. Knowledge is power. Especially when we act on it. Use these hashtags: #StopEbolaNaija #FightEbola #WashHandsPreventEbola Look out on Facebook and Twitter for this helpful poster (created by the talented Dr Lawal Bakare—follow him on twitter Bakare Lawal), and freely share it! Heres to our mutual victory. We can beat this. Helpful resources (Ill be updating this as I find more, so be sure to check back). How to wash your hands: buff.ly/1rE91yx Wikipedia article on Ebola: buff.ly/1rE90us Channels TV breaking news report: buff.ly/1rE91yz Post by @DocAyomide. Find more info at: AyomideAdebayo Again thanks!
Posted on: Sat, 26 Jul 2014 13:45:06 +0000
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