No danger from Ebola in Germany

Hysteria for Ebola unfounded in Europe

24/10/2014

As experts at a symposium of the health department Frankfurt am Main announced, there was no danger of a major outbreak of the epidemic in Germany. As the head of the office and head of the Hessen competence center Rene Gottschalk emphasized, Germany was accordingly „world leader in preparation“ on highly contagious diseases. Although individual cases can not be ruled out, the treatment of those affected does not present any danger to the population.

The supply structures are so good that the virus can not spread. For example, the Center of Competence for Highly Infectious, Life-Threatening Diseases at the Health Department Frankfurt am Main, together with the University Hospital Frankfurt, the High-Security Laboratory in Marburg and the Frankfurt Fire Brigade, has been preparing for the identification and care of patients with highly pathogenic agents for many years, according to a statement from the Frankfurt Public Health Department.

As Gottschalk already said in a press conference of the city of Frankfurt, "Ebola is therefore no challenge for the epidemic protection in this country". The virus would be accordingly „fight relatively easily“. Patients are not contagious until the symptoms become visible, the virus does not spread over the air and could easily be killed with disinfectants, as the Frankfurter Allgemeine continues to report.
The known Ebolaansteckungen in the US and Europe had occurred with caregivers who had direct contact with the seriously ill. Neither colleagues nor relatives were infected. In addition, the specially trained staff would work under very high safety precautions.

Employees would wear full-body protective suits, so that they themselves are protected from infection and under the conditions of an isolation ward, a further spread of the virus could be excluded, the health department continues. However, the care required was enormous, as doctors from the isolation wards reported. "Patients have to be cared for 24 hours a day, and the personnel in the protective suits could only work 3 hours at a time." Just putting on the suits takes an hour.

Meanwhile, the US has adopted German standards for protective measures to remove the protective clothing. Nevertheless, August Stich warns of the Missionary Medical Clinic in Würzburg, where helpers are currently being trained for use in the epidemic areas: „Ebola forgives no mistakes.“

Treatment can be improved
There is currently no antidote to the virus. Also a vaccine does not exist yet. However, the award of antibiotics against the side effects of the disease has proved to be very helpful, says Matthias Grade of Doctors Without Borders, according to the Frankfurter Allgemeine. In Europe, the chances of a cure therefore not bad, while in Africa still up to 80 Percent of the infected die.

Chief Executive Gottschalk warns, however, of a stigmatization of Africans or Afrikareisenden. The disease is currently rampant in only three African countries, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. Only with people from these countries and only if they had had direct contact with patients would there be any chance that they would be infected with Ebola. In these cases, a blood sample will provide assurance of the patient's state of health within six hours.

However, there was consensus among the experts that the response to the outbreak was much too late. In addition, too little money has been invested in combating the disease locally. Gottschalk spoke in this context of one „Shame on the international community“. Despite declining numbers of illnesses, Gottschalk does not expect an early end to the epidemic in the affected regions. Rather, he reckons that the disease could cause up to 100 000 deaths, as the Frankfurter Allgemeine reports. (Jp)