So
given the handling of the Chikungunya Virus outbreak in Jamaica, could the Ebola
Virus already be in Jamaica and we don’t know it? According to the WHO (World
Health Organization) 3,091 have died and 6,574 persons have been affected in
West Africa.
A
remaining 20,000 may possibly die in Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Nigeria,
Senegal, and the Democratic Republic of Congo before the Ebola Virus has run
its course as noted in my blog article
entitled “WHO
confirms Ebola Virus outbreak in DRC different from West Africa - Ebola Virus
Brothers from the same Zaire Strain Mother”.
This
is a hot topic of discussion among the Miconians at MICO University College sitting under
the Tree in the Courtyard of this great institution.
In
fact, many evening students such as myself at MICO University College who are still
pissed at having been “plucked” by the Chikungunya Virus, STILL have friends
who STILL have not infected.
They
are anxiously awaiting their turn to become a part of the 60% to get this
rather unfashionable Rash and crippling arthritic pains in exchange for
lifelong immunity as noted in my blog article
entitled “Minister
of Health comes clean on Chikungunya Virus Epidemic - 35 Official Cases as 60
percent possibly Infected and Medicines running low”.
Discussions
about the Ebola Virus are not so amusing, I’m afraid. Looks of dread and worry
are etched on the faces of the femme
fetales at MICO University College;
this discussion has many of them worried as unlike the Chikungunya Virus, there
isn’t a cure.
And
the vaccines that do exist are being tested in West Africa by Pharmaceutical
companies working with the WHO (World Health Organization) in clinical trials,
the results of which won’t be announced until November 2014 as noted in my blog article
entitled “WHO
confirms Ebola Virus outbreak in DRC different from West Africa - Ebola Virus
Brothers from the same Zaire Strain Mother”.
So
with a potentially successfully tested vaccine at least a year away in Africa
and Jamaican not having access to the experimental drug known as ZMapp,
developed by San Diego, California based biotech firm Mapp Biopharmaceutical
Inc as described in my blog article
entitled “Jamaica's
Ebola Risk - How a ZMapp cured Americans of Ebola as Jamaica can become Guinea
Pig to Test an Ebola Cure”, many Miconians are afraid that the Ebola Virus
is already in Jamaica and that the dishonest Minister of Health, Dr Fenton
Ferguson, may be hiding the fact.
So
what’s the situation with Ebola in Jamaica? I asked some questions on Thursday
September 2nd 2014 at SERHA’s (South East Regional Health Authority)
offices in the Towers on Dominica Drive in New Kingston to find out!
MOH claims no Ebola in
Jamaica – SERHA says an errant email to the Jamaica Observer
My
questions on Thursday September 2nd 2014 were directed at SERHA PR
(Public Relations) Representative Mrs. S. Shaw-Smith, who I interrogated on the
recent publication of an Ebola Advisory in The Jamaica Observer by SERHA as
stated in their article “Health
authority issues Ebola advisory”, published Friday, September 26, 2014 4:55
PM, The Jamaica Observer.
According
to SERHA PR (Public Relations) Representative Mrs. S. Shaw-Smith, that advisory
was an internal reminder of their Doctors and health practitioners advising
them of the precautions to take to minimize the spread of the Ebola Virus.
Apparently someone from within SERHA had emailed it out to The Jamaica Observer and thus the
reason why they ran the story.
It
was not, she emphasized, an indication that the Ebola Virus was in Jamaica. But
given the Minister of Health, Dr Fenton Ferguson lack of truthfulness on the
spread of the Chikungunya Virus as pointed out in my blog article
entitled “31
infected during Jamaican Chikungunya Virus Epidemic - 113 Deaths in the
Caribbean as Jamaica grapples with Chikungunya Virus Outbreak”, how could
we be so sure that this wasn’t another case that it was here and spreading and
just not being reported because no “official” confirmation was made?
She
then referred me to yet another PR (Public Relations) Representative Mrs.
Tenesisha Lewis (Tel: 317-8885) at the MOH if I had further questions. So I
resolved to do some digging into the Newspaper archives, hoping for something
to turn up.
It
certainly did, as that very same day, the story about the first Ebola Case in
Texas, US of A, happened, which I penned that very same day as noted in my blog article
entitled “Mr.
Thomas Eric Duncan from Texas becomes US of A First Ebola Case – From Liberia
to Texas in 5 days as Ebola goes Continent Hopping”.
Dr Kevin Harvey says no
Ebola Virus in Jamaica - Entertainers may be Carriers from West Africa
The
MOH (Ministry of Health) Acting Permanent Secretary Dr Kevin Harvey, dismissed
such claims as stated in the article entitled “Ebola in Jamaica?”,
published Friday, September 26, 2014 3:11 PM, The Jamaica Observer. He may be
right, given the two to twenty one (2 to 21) day incubation period of the Ebola
Virus.
Interestingly,
according to a Jamaican living in Texas, Americans are going about their usual
business in a tense atmosphere that is stark contrast to the self-assuredness
of the MOH Acting Permanent Secretary Dr Kevin Harvey as stated in the article “Mixed
reactions to Ebola case in US, says J’can”, published Wednesday, October
01, 2014, The Jamaica Observer.
A
quick update here folks: His situation has deteriorated at the time of writing
this article as stated in “Texas
Ebola patient in critical condition: hospital”, published Saturday, October
04, 2014 2:30 PM, The Jamaica
Observer, suggesting he might not make it.
The
persons with whom he had direct contact, the family in Texas, are being kept at
their home, effectively quarantined in their
own house as stated in the article “US
family that hosted Ebola patient confined to home”, published Thursday,
October 02, 2014 9:35 PM, The Jamaica
Observer
If
they survive this, book, talk show and movie deals offers will be coming their
way for certain!
This
is not to say that the 21 day incubation period is wrong. Rather, if it is
indeed 21 days for the incubation period, it indicates how long after he'd had
contact with an infected person BEFORE it manifested as physically visible or
perceivable symptoms.
This
suggests African Nationals right now in Jamaica who recently travelled from
West Africa possibly have the Ebola Virus in their System but won't know it until
21 days. With Air Travel being literally an overnight affair from such
far-flung African countries, isn't it then possibly that both Africans and
Jamaicans travelers infected with the Ebola Virus, travelling to and from these
African countries may have the Ebola Virus in their blood and NOT know it?
To
be fair Minister of Health, Dr Fenton Ferguson DID issue a warning to
Entertainers and Artiste from Jamaica travelling to Africa to avoid going to
West Africa as noted in the article “Gov't Warns
Entertainers Against Travel To Ebola-Affected Countries”, Published Thursday
August 21, 2014 6:44 pm, The Jamaica
Gleaner, particularly the following countries:
1.
Guinea
2.
Liberia
3.
Sierra Leone
4.
Nigeria
5.
DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo)
formerly Zaire
Examples
that readily come to mind possibly include Dancehall Artiste such as
Christopher Martin and Alaine Haughton and others who recently went to Africa
to perform as stated in my blog article
entitled “Alaine
and Christopher Martin on Tour in Africa – Denyque is Reppin’ for Millennials
on DRS 2014”.
When
they return, if they’re not already back in the island, isn't it totally
possible that they may be carriers of the Ebola Virus for that 21 day
incubation period and NOT know it? Dancehall Artiste, wary of the Ebola
situation in the US of A which hits a little too close to home, seem to be getting
the message and are avoiding Africa for now as noted in the article “Artistes Shun
'Mama Africa'”, published Sunday October 5, 2014, The Jamaica Gleaner .
Minister
of Health, Dr Fenton Ferguson is also slated to meet with representatives of
the Entertainment Industry in Jamaica to speak to the issue of non-essential
travel to Ebola affected countries in West Africa as noted in the article “Ferguson, Local
Entertainment Industry Reps To Have Ebola Talks”, Published Saturday
October 4, 2014 2:05 pm, The Jamaica
Gleaner .
In
fact, Minister of Health, Dr Fenton Ferguson stated that, quite simply, any
Jamaican making non-essential trips to West Africa will be quarantined upon
return as noted in the article “Entertainers
who continue trips to Ebola-affected areas will be quarantined”, published
Saturday, October 04, 2014 12:21 PM, The
Jamaica Observer.
But
by who exactly? And will they be wearing safety protective Gear and have an
Isolation unit in a HAZMAT (Hazardous Materials) Ambulance ready to transport
the infected?
Ebola Virus isn’t
“airborne” – How the Ebola Virus is transmitted and your Final Destination
Remember the Ebola Virus isn’t “airborne”. Strictly speaking no
disease is “airborne”, not even Tuberculosis. Instead,
some diseases that are characterized as contagious have the following
properties:
1.
A low Viral load i.e. small amount of
PPM (particle per million) of the bacterium or virii is needed to start an
infect once the conditions to reproduce are right
2.
Form spores once outside of the body
3.
Can survive for months without these
favorable conditions before being re-animated by liquid i.e. sweat from the
skin
If
the microscopic particles of the bacterium or virii become aerosolized i.e.
spaced far apart by extreme pressure or force often via sneezing or coughing,
they can travel only as far as the wind can blow, land on someone’s face or any
open wound on their skin and infect them.
If
no wind, the particles of the bacterium or virii mixes up in the liquid out of
the persons nose or mouth i.e. saliva, phlegm or sputum travel and lands on the
nearest contact surface, where it usually dies. However, once you touch this
infected area and wipe your face or any open wound on your skin, you can be
infected. This is the means by which transmission of an “airborne” Virus
occurs; they should really be called Surface Contact Viruses.
And
due to the low Viral load of such “airborne” Viruses, a small amount of fluid
from an infected person can easily transmit the Virus as is the case with Tuberculosis
or the Common Cold. Good to note that most “airborne” diseases tend to be
Bacterium or Virii that usually form spores when they are outside of the body,
allowing them to survive for days, weeks, months and even years!
They
can lie on a surface for days, sometimes even months, becoming reactivated when
the moisture from someone’s hand jumpstarts their reproduction as they adhere
to that person’s hand – and infects them when they wipe their hand on their
face or any open wound on their skin.
The
Ebola Virus has a high Viral load like HIV (Human Immuno-Deficiency Virus); it
requires a large amount of the Virus to be infectious. To replicate and be
spread effectively in small amounts isn’t possible as the Immune System would
easily kill it on entering the body.
Hence
the reason why Ebola Virus or HIV cannot be spread via mosquitoes, a mosquito
bite carries too small a Viral load to be infectious. The Chikungunya Virus, on
the other hand, has a low Viral load can, hence making it easily spread, taking
a ride within the gut of the Aedes
aegypti Mosquito and spreading each time the mosquitoes bites someone!
Also
neither Ebola Virus nor HIV forms spores when out of their favorable host
conditions; they usually die from radiation exposure i.e. sunlight and the
extremes of temperature outside of the human body. This is the reason why
sterilization procedures for food preparation sometimes involve using strong ionizing
radiation i.e. UV or even Gamma Radiation from a Cobalt-60 source to kill
bacteria.
Rather
the Ebola Virus, HIV and other Viruses with high Viral load are spread through
direct contact with the following bodily fluids:
1.
Blood
2.
Saliva
3.
Semen
4.
Stool
5.
Sweat
6.
Urine
According
to the Center for Disease
Control, persons will display the following symptoms, after the 21 day
incubation period in the case of the Ebola Virus:
1.
Fever (greater than 38.6°C or 101.5°F)
2.
Severe headache
3.
Muscle pain
4.
Weakness
5.
Diarrhea
6.
Vomiting
7.
Abdominal (stomach) pain
8.
Unexplained hemorrhage (bleeding or
bruising)
Hemorrhaging,
from which the Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever gets its claim to fame, is due to the
body’s Last Stand, often referred to as a Cytokine Storm as the
Ebola Virus turns its attention to attacking the Body’s Immune System. Unlike
the HIV (Human Immuno-Deficiency Virus) which attacks the T-Cells in the Immune
System and bone Marrow where the T-Cells are made first in a long protracted
battle, the Ebola Virus wages a war more akin to the Chikungunya Virus,
attacking the vital organs and the Nervous Systems.
Thus
persons with weak constitutions i.e. weak Immune System or complications due to
other illnesses, usually die from the Ebola Virus or the Chikungunya Virus.
During the Cytokine Storm,
the Immune System throws all it has at the Ebola Virus in hopes that previous
antigens from previous infections it has fought successfully can stop the Ebola
Virus.
In
the process, anti-coagulant is released into the bloodstream that makes the
blood less likely to clot, resulting in the persons bleeding through all their
organs, including the skin. That’s what causes the gruesome appearance of an
Ebola suffer hemorrhaging in the last stages of the battle, during which fluids
and lots of nutrients are necessary to boost their Immune System.
In
short, as the video says, it’s not the Virus that kills you, it’s you that
kills you!
Doctors not trusting
MOH – PPE can be made as PAHO and CATHA pledge assistance
Firstly,
it appears as if it isn’t going to be by Jamaican Doctors, at least the one at
the UHWI (University Hospital of the West indies), as, many have pointed out
that they’re not equipped with their procedures or equiptment to isolate and
deal with the Ebola Virus as stated in the article “Ebola panic:
Local Doctors say they are not equipped to handle deadly Virus”, Published
Thursday October 2, 2014, by Corey Robinson, Staff Reporter, The Jamaica Gleaner.
They
aren’t backing down on their Hippocratic Oaths. Rather, they’re not willing to
die from a disease that has a mortality rate of 95% on average. Not to mention
just simply not reading, as it is possible to recover from the Ebola Virus,
despite what Jamaican Doctors may have heard sensationalized on Television!
Contrary
to the report above, such equiptment, referred to as PPE (Personal Protective
Equiptment), can be easily sourced and made in Jamaica once you follow the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention detailed PPE
recommendations as stated in the article “Ebola
Outbreak: Hazmat-Style Suits Face Distribution Crunch In Africa”, published
October 04 2014 9:29 AM By Connor Adams,
International Business Times.
In fact the CDC also has guidelines and procedures for Doctors on the Infection
Prevention and Control Recommendations for Hospitalized Patients with Known or
Suspected Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever in U.S. Hospitals as well as Safe
Management of Patients with Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in U.S. Hospitals,
more than adequate procedures for Doctors and Nurses to handle an Ebola
Epidemic instead of sounding like scared children.
Most of it is sold at local Suppliers of PPE use
in the Bauxite Industry and Pharmaceutical Industry. There even a procedure
sheet from the CDC detailing how the PPE should be put
on by the wearer!
Makeshift
Portable Isolation Units, such as the ones made by ISOVAC Products LLC in the article “Portable
isolation chamber could help contain Ebola”, published October 2, 2014,
3:42 PM, CBS News can be easily made
using the PPE Material available again from such stores as National Safety in
Jamaica.
The
aim is to really isolate and contain the patient and prevent them from
transferring fluids to healthcare works without the need to physically touch
them. Examples of Makeshift Portable Isolation Units are as shown below:
Add
to this wealth of information the fact that they’re getting help from CARPHA
(Caribbean Public Health Agency) as stated in the article “CARPHA
ramps up Ebola preparedness, Chik-V control”, published Saturday, October
04, 2014 8:50 AM, The Jamaica
Observer.
To
quote the Executive Director of CARPHA, Dr C James Hospedales: “We at CARPHA
continue to work with all our member states, and our partners to bolster
preparedness for Ebola, protect the health of the people and implement measures
to minimise risk — including those linked to the revised International Health
Regulations (2005).”
We
also have pledges of PPE from PAHO (Pan-American Health Organization), should
the need arise as noted in the article “Ebola Help:
PAHO, CARICOM Pledge Assistance To Help Jamaica With Preparedness”,
Published Friday October 3, 2014, by Anastasia Cunningham, Health Coordinator, The Jamaica Gleaner. The MOH is also in
consultation with the CDC and procurement channels in the US of A with the aim
to get more supplies of PPE, most likely on humanitarian, as we might not necessarily
be able to afford them.
And
they'll be here real fast too, to quote MOH Acting Permanent Secretary Dr Kevin
Harvey: “PAHO has confirmed support for the provision of PPEs from its
warehouse in Panama. If the need arises in Jamaica, items can be made available
within 24 hours of notification of a case”.
So
folks, it’s all up to the level of preparation we have for the Ebola Virus.
With the parts slowly falling in place, Jamaica will be ready to fight this
disease should it “official” come to our shores!
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