Ebola survivors become helpers

Ebola survivors become helpers

18/10/2014

Around 4,500 people have died of Ebola in West Africa. However, some have survived an infection and are now immune to the dangerous virus. This would enable them to play an important role in the fight against the disease. For example, by taking care of children in quarantine.

Survivors are immune
All over the world, the fear of the deadly disease is currently: Ebola has already claimed around 4,500 lives. Not only in the West African countries, but also in western countries are infected, or patients who show typical Ebola symptoms, treated in clinics. The mortality is enormously high. People who have survived an infection with the virus are immune to the disease. This could be of great benefit. The survivors are now to be trained as helpers in the fight against the infectious disease.

Support for families
According to a news agency AP, the United Nations has begun to train survivors of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa as helpers in the fight against the disease. As UNICEF child communication officer Sarah Crowe announced in New York on Friday, survivors could play an important role in helping families with Ebola sufferers as they have become immune to the virus. For example, they could look after children who would be in isolation for 21 days following an Ebola infection in their family.

Tease toddlers
The Ebola survivors, it is possible to take toddlers even once in the arm. And even without protective clothing and other safety precautions, which are otherwise aimed at avoiding any contact. Since diarrhea, nausea and vomiting as well as bleeding from the mucous membranes and body orifices occur in patients as well as the fever, the contact with body fluids of the infected can hardly be avoided without the measures described. Crowe explained: „Ebola has taken every aspect of life hostage.“ In the affected region, the virus has already orphaned 3,700 children. Since the number of Ebola infections triples every three weeks, this number will continue to increase. About 4,500 people have died of Ebola since the outbreak began, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). About 9,000 people have become infected.

Ebola survivors trained as helpers
Crowes claims that the first state transitional care center has opened in the Liberian capital of Monrovia. Each month, at least one new center should be opened in each of the five most affected by Ebola regions of Liberia. Each of them should provide care places for 30 children. To date, Crowes claims that 20 Ebola survivors have been trained to work in these centers. The expert returned from a five-week trip from Africa and was the first to announce her body temperature at her press conference. (Ad)