Kababayans in Texas have been feeling scared and vulnerable when the news broke about 100 people in Dallas were exposed to Ebola patient Thomas Duncan. There are about 35,000 Filipinos living in Northern Texas.
Fortunately, none of these 100 people who reportedly came in contact with Duncan was Filipino. This was the confirmation given by the Philippine Consulate, although officials say kababayans there and elsewhere in the nation should remain vigilant.
“On behalf of the newly appointed Honorary Consul of Texas Ethel Mercado, she is closely monitoring Presbyterian Hospital here in Dallas,” Myrna Obligacion-Carreon of the Phil-Am Chamber of Commerce said in a report by JV Villar on The Filipino Channel’s daily newscast Balitang America.
“Therefore, ang message niya po sa ating mga kababayan, pag kayo pa ay nakaka experience ng symptoms – feverish or vomiting or diarrhea – do not hesitate. Get to you doctor, call them right away.”
The City of Dallas’ health concerns are handled by the Dallas County Health and Human Services. According to Texas health officials, an incident command system has been established for the Ebola emergency.
The main objective in the fight against Ebola is to ensure that no more Texans are exposed to the Ebola virus, and to identify and monitor those who may have potentially contracted the virus. Those individuals who are being monitored will have their temperature taken twice a day.
Although we heard about Ebola being compared in the news to ISIS in terms of the danger and harm it can do to people, health experts tell the community in Dallas not to panic. They explain that the Ebola virus spreads through bodily fluids and not something you can sneeze or pass like a common cold.
“It is not spread out by airborne means,” said Dr. Rolando Solis, a Dallas physician, told JV Villar in his report on Balitang America. “In other words, if you stay in a room with a patient with Ebola does not necessarily mean you will contract the disease unless you have definite contact with the patient.”
A 10 member team from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) is now in Dallas. Health officials say it is critical to identify potential patients who just traveled. Villar reported further that there is now a health order restricting the movement of Duncan’s family members while they are being monitored.
According to the World Health Organization, 70 percent of Ebola patients have died. Authorities point out that the control of the disease depends highly on the level of education and level of technology of the country.
Let me share with you important information the CDCP wants to disseminate to the public:
SYMPTOMS of Ebola
The centers for Disease Control outlines the symptoms of Ebola, which include:
• Fever (greater than 38.6°C or 101.5°F)
• Severe headache
• Muscle pain
• Weakness
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Abdominal (stomach) pain
• Unexplained hemorrhage (bleeding or bruising)
The CDCP says the symptoms may appear anywhere from 2 to 21 days after exposure to Ebola, but the average is 8 to 10 days.
According to the CDCP, recovery from Ebola depends on good supportive clinical care and the patient’s immune response. People who recover from Ebola infection develop antibodies that last for at least 10 years.
TRANSMISSION of Ebola
The CDCP says because the natural reservoir host of Ebola viruses has not yet been identified, the manner in which the virus first appears in a human at the start of an outbreak is unknown. However, researchers believe that the first patient becomes infected through contact with an infected animal.
As the CDCP explains: When an infection does occur in humans, the virus can be spread in several ways to others. Ebola is spread through direct contact (through broken skin or mucous membranes in, for example, the eyes, nose, or mouth) with
• blood or body fluids (including but not limited to urine, saliva, sweat, feces, vomit, breast milk, and semen) of a person who is sick with Ebola
• objects (like needles and syringes) that have been contaminated with the virus
• infected animals
• Ebola is not spread through the air or by water, or in general, by food.
However, in Africa, the CDCP says Ebola may be spread as a result of handling bushmeat (wild animals hunted for food) and contact with infected bats. There is no evidence that mosquitos or other insects can transmit Ebola virus. Only mammals (for example, humans, bats, monkeys, and apes) have shown the ability to become infected with and spread Ebola virus.
Healthcare providers caring for Ebola patients and the family and friends in close contact with Ebola patients are at the highest risk of getting sick because they may come in contact with infected blood or body fluids of sick patients.
During outbreaks of Ebola, the disease can spread quickly within healthcare settings (such as a clinic or hospital). Exposure to Ebola can occur in healthcare settings where hospital staff are not wearing appropriate protective equipment, including masks, gowns, and gloves and eye protection.
Dedicated medical equipment (preferable disposable, when possible) should be used by healthcare personnel providing patient care. Proper cleaning and disposal of instruments, such as needles and syringes, is also important. If instruments are not disposable, they must be sterilized before being used again. Without adequate sterilization of the instruments, virus transmission can continue and amplify an outbreak.
Once someone recovers from Ebola, they can no longer spread the virus. However, Ebola virus has been found in semen for up to three months. People who recover from Ebola are advised to abstain from sex or use condoms for three months.
DIAGNOSIS of Ebola
The CDCP says diagnosing Ebola in an person who has been infected for only a few days is difficult, because the early symptoms, such as fever, are nonspecific to Ebola infection and are seen often in patients with more commonly occurring diseases, such as malaria and typhoid fever.
However, if a person has the early symptoms of Ebola and has had contact with the blood or body fluids of a person infected with Ebola, objects that have been contaminated with the blood or body fluids of a person sick with Ebola, or infected animals, that person should be isolated and public health professionals should be notified. Samples from the patient can then be collected and tested to confirm infection.
TREATMENT of Ebola
The CDCP says no FDA-approved vaccine or medicine (e.g., antiviral drug) is available for Ebola.
Symptoms of Ebola are treated as they appear. The CDCP stress that following basic interventions, when used early, can significantly improve the chances of survival:
• Providing intravenous fluids (IV)and balancing electrolytes (body salts)
• Maintaining oxygen status and blood pressure
• Treating other infections if they occur
The CDCP says experimental vaccines and treatments for Ebola are under development, but they have not yet been fully tested for safety or effectiveness.
According to the CDCP, recovery from Ebola depends on good supportive care and the patient’s immune response. People who recover from Ebola infection develop antibodies that last for at least 10 years, possibly longer. It isn’t known if people who recover are immune for life or if they can become infected with a different species of Ebola. Some people who have recovered from Ebola have developed long-term complications, such as joint and vision problems.
