The Problem with Ebola, Part 2
More thoughts from my sister about Ebola. --B :-)
The Problem with Ebola, Part 2 October 2, 2014
[May] the Lord turn his
face toward you and give you peace. – Numbers 6:26
Ebola is especially
terrifying to people, EVERYwhere around the world. As a doctor, I was
reflecting, the ER was one of my most dreaded places because anything (i.e.,
any virus, bacteria) could show up and for at least a period of time, you were
exposed to them. After you assess someone and then later fear they may have
Tuberculosis (TB), you get a little/lot nervous (this is the year my TB skin
test will turn positive, I would think) or learn that the person you are caring
for with/without gloves has Hep C/B/HIV (let's not even get to the accidental
finger sticks). I even remember taking care of a pregnant woman who was sick
and turned out to be H1N1 flu positive (during the year it was viewed with most
fear)... I washed my hands and face so many times, people would have thought I
had OCD. But in our post-vaccination world, we are actually missing a lot of
craziness that exists out there (i.e., other parts of the world).
I did a month
of clinical work outside of the US and saw Measles for the first time, but I
didn't see the cute mnemonic I learned in med school (rash + the 3 C's - cough,
coryza, conjunctivitis), I saw a child with disfiguring skin lesions, horrible
stridor, and significant respiratory distress. Measles KILLS, a fact sadly, a
few communities in the US have been learning recently with the
"return" of it. In the US, I've seen Pertussis turn a thriving 1
month old (someone too young to get vaccinated) into a
neurologically-devastated, machine-dependent infant. Her mom believed in
vaccinating but some of her family members didn't get the vaccine and hence,
the baby was unprotected. Again, in the US, I've seen RSV make babies look like
snotty, yet happy, messes to the other end of the spectrum where it
horrifically makes them "lose their breath" leading to brain and
other vital organ damage. There was even a period of time that I had my fill of
seeing teens and adults with STIs and refused to shake hands with anyone (for
fear that they had the syphilis rash on their palms). I am a semi-recovering
germaphobe... My condition worsened with med school after my Microbiology class
(which I had wisely/unwisely skipped in college). Though much better now, I
will probably always be more of a "2-second" rule girl and never a
"5-second" rule person.
The point I'm getting to is, I feel this
Ebola crisis has made people more conscious of our invisible microbe frenemies.
The general population is now experiencing the world more like how I feel in an
ER (or in a grocery store). I previously posted (on Facebook) a NYT article
on how Ebola has modified the social structure of Nigeria (and I've read
similar articles from other countries faced with a worse outbreak). Now that it
has "arrived" in North America (notice how I generalized that instead
of focusing specifically on Dallas, Texas - yes, welcome to an
"African's" world), I can feel the ripples from the waves of
pandemonium. So why this fear with Ebola? I didn't see this much social
outcry/fear with the SARS epidemic in 2003 (a virus that is airborne), but then
again no American with SARS was ever privately flown to a hospital for fear of
spreading the infection either. That means to the general public (and the
world), no matter what the CDC or WHO says, Ebola MUST be different… Ebola MUST
be feared...
I don’t think I can assuage everybody’s
fears (and I feel some fear/respect is healthy), but I will share this: Currently,
as a doctor who only sees patients with cancer and blood disorders, several of
my patients have poor immune function so there is a germaphobe ideology we spread
to their caregivers – but it’s pretty easy to follow –
1) good hand-washing
which includes hand sanitizer (necessary for everyone);
2) immunizations
(necessary for everyone, especially if the child can’t get vaccinated due to
their condition);
3) avoid sick people (not necessary if you have a normal
immune system, if you do the above 2 things); and
4) avoid large crowds (also
not necessary if you have a normal immune system, if you do the above 2 things).
Now back to Ebola - NO person or country or city asked for/deserves Ebola! I
first became aware of the devastating epidemic when news broke out that
national hero Dr. Sheik
Umar Khan of Sierra Leone had contracted the virus and sadly passed
away. Now, I am speaking as someone who is experiencing slight déjà vu – at the
close of July 2014, I and other Nigerians gulped/gasped audibly when we heard we
had the first
case of non-endemic Ebola was diagnosed in “our” land); fear gripped us in different
ways. We were sad (another devastating
thing to add to our growing list), angry (why did that guy get on the plane and other questions abounded,
along with several conspiracy theories), devastated (with each new case, with
each reported death), the list goes on… I was one of many who had family in
Nigeria (and some specifically in Lagos). I got a little nervous (only a little
because I already knew the virus wasn’t airborne like the flu) when my dad (who
lives in Ogbomoso) called me from Lagos saying he was at a meeting (although he
reassured me that he was nowhere near the affected hospital or the airport).
Then
the world began to respond in varied, unpredictable ways; for instance, Korea
stopped all flights to Kenya (which is in East Africa) as a preventive measure.
Then, I became light-headed when I received an email from work stating anyone
who traveled to the affected countries (including Nigeria) would not be able to
come to work for 21 days! (This was even beyond the CDC recommendations, which the
email said it was following.) My first thoughts were: when am I going to see my
fiancé and parents again… what about our wedding (which is scheduled to occur
in a few months)... I began to dedicate time to CDC and Nigerian news daily for
any updates on the “case count.” During this time, a dear friend reminded me
why Nigeria was blessed in comparison to Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone.
Yes, Nigeria is a third-world country like the other three, but we had the
benefit of a warning (the others’ didn’t) and we had several brave (and
generous) people (native and foreign) step up to the plate (the same spirit of
the types who stepped up for the other countries). And praise God, Ebola CAN be
controlled!
I learned this last week, but I don’t know if I fully believed it
until I saw several confirmatory articles, including the most recent
that another dear friend sent me on October 1st (Nigerian’s Independence Day
poignantly), which discussed the fall of Ebola in Nigeria due to the nation’s
response. Underneath that headline was an article
that described the first Ebola case in Texas. The déjà vu feeling came upon me because
Dallas/Ft. Worth is a place I also consider home and I have loved ones there
too. Yet, my fear is less… Here is why: the article my friend sent had this
quote from the director of CDC: “For those who say it’s hopeless, this is an
antidote – you can control Ebola.” He was talking about… Nigeria?! On the wake
of its 54th Independence Day, Nigeria is giving other countries in
our increasingly small world HOPE. My native country has given me hope in my
adopted country, and I’ve never been more proud to call myself Naija. I hope
those who are afraid, can also take heart in this message. And more
importantly, do our part to provide hope to others. –TAI
Below is a list of
organizations that are currently serving countries affected by Ebola, you’ll
notice Nigeria, Senegal, and United States are not at the top of any of their
lists, because the pain/fear/loss we have experienced is a drop of water
compared to the overwhelming ocean of suffering taking place in Guinea,
Liberia, and Sierra Leone. For better or worse, you’ll also be reminded that
Ebola is not the only horrible thing happening in today’s world. We can only
pray for the Lord’s mercy and show
gratitude for His grace.
Doctors without Borders http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/
SIM www.sim.org
World Vision http://www.wvi.org/
Samaritan’s Purse http://www.samaritanspurse.org/
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