THE NATION FRIDAY, AUGUST 15, 2014
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NEWS
Ebola prompts e
•From left: Head, Glo Zone, Mr. Babatunde Alimi, Glo Brand Specialist, Miss Tosin Akindunbi, Country Manager, Core Group Africa, Mr. Sachin Verma, Head, GloWorld, Mrs. Titi Ebinisi, Brand Specialist, Miss Nkiru James and Coordinator, GloWorld, Mr. Dimeji Amao at a Press Conference to announce Globacom’s partnership with Core Group Africa for sale of genuine Apple devices at GloWorld and Glo Zones pan Nigeria at the Mike Adenuga Towers, Lagos...yesterday.
From Nigeria to the United States and many other parts of the world, the fear of the spread of the Ebola Virus ravaging West Africa has led to extraordinary precautionary measures, writes Wall Street Journal
•Students of the University of Calabar’s School of Philosophy campaigning against the spread of the Ebola Virus in Calabar, the Cross River State capital... yesterday.
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•From Left: Chairman, Senate Committee on Power, Senator Philip Aduda; Minister of Power, Prof.Chinedu Nebo and Minister of State for Power, Mr Mohammed Wakil at the inauguration of the National Council on Power in Abuja ...yesterday.
HE Ebola outbreak in West Africa has prompted hospitals and health authorities in other countries to take precautions that often go beyond experts' recommendations, showing the impact of public concern about the deadly disease. Health officials in Charlotte, N.C., are taking no chances with three missionaries who returned to the U.S. earlier this week from Liberia. All had contact with patients sick with Ebola. So even though they are healthy, the three have been quarantined on the campus of the religious organisation for which they work. Quarantining people who were exposed to Ebola but don't have symptoms is unusual. But their employer and the public health department say they want to go the extra mile. "We want to be overly cautious," said Stephen Keener, medical director of the Mecklenburg County Health Department, which issued a quarantine order for the missionaries. The measure was taken "so the public can be reassured of how we're handling this," said Bruce Johnson, president of SIM USA, the organisation for which the missionaries work. The three-two doctors and the husband of one of the infected Americans evacuated earlier to the U.S.-have been quarantined for 21 days from their most recent exposure, the maximum incubation period for the virus. The three are staying in recreational vehicles on a 90-acre campus with other missionaries and children
•From left: Manager, Etisalat Youth Segments, Idiareno Atimomo; 2014 Camp Hype Cordinator, Brycee Bassey; musical artist, Remilekun Khalid Shafaru (Reminisce) and specialist, Etisalat Youth Segment, Ifeoluwa Oyeyipo, at the 2014 Summer Camp Hype sponsored by Etisalat CliqLite in Lagos.
Fear grips Kuje residents over plan to designate hospital Ebola centre
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•Executive Director, Creative and Strategy, Exp Marketing Nigeria Limited, Iain Allan ( left) and Center Manager, Ikeja City Mall, Sander Norman at the second edition of the mall's music and fashion show in Alausa, Lagos.
HERE was panic at the General Hospital, Kuje, Abuja yesterday, following a speculation that the hospital had been designated an Ebola isolation centre. The speculation began when The Red Cross supplied medical aids to the hospital. Three vehicles, with the insignia of the Red Cross, ferried the supplies. Youths gathered around the hospital discussing their fear that the authorities of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) had designated the hospital as a centre for the treatment of the deadly disease. Hospital workers rushed out to repark their vehicles outside the hospital premises for fear that the youths might go violent. There were reports the community was opposed to the idea of an EVD Isolation and Treatment Centre in the town. But, the Chief Medical Director of
who also were in Liberia but not exposed to Ebola, he said. Only a few Ebola victims will have access to an experimental treatment that was effective in treating monkeys with the virus. What other options are there for halting Ebola from spreading, and for treating those already infected? WSJ's Jason Bellini has #TheShortAnswer. Health authorities and doctors elsewhere are going to lengths to prevent the world's largest outbreak of Ebola from spreading. Some are exceeding measures recommended by agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Others are taking precautions used for diseases that are highly contagious because they spread through the air, while Ebola spreads only through contact with bodily fluids of an infected person. But they say the deadly nature of Ebola, which has killed 54% of those infected in the current outbreak and up to 90% in other outbreaks, and concerns from the public justify the precautions. Reports of possible cases from New York City to Hong Kong have alarmed some in the public, though fears subsided somewhat after all tested negative. "Ebola has a higher mortality rate among those infected and it's very important that all exposures are prevented," said David Kuhar, a medical officer leading the health-care infection control team for the Ebola re-
From Blessing Olaifa, Abuja
the hospital, Dr Terbunde Egbi, dispelled the rumour that the equipment and drugs were for Ebola treatment. Dr. Egbi, who received the officials of the Red Cross, said there was no need for panic as the materials and equipment delivered were not for Ebola. She added that some of the materials were also meant for some Primary Health Care Centres within the area. She said there was no need for anyone to be apprehensive over the pronouncement of the government on the issue, adding that "as of now, no Ebola case has been reported in the FCT". Dr Egbi told The Nation that since the pronouncement of the FCT Minister last weekend, there was only a sensitisation visit of all stakeholders to the hospital on Monday. Accord-