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After Effects Of Ebola Virus On Survivors |
From Patricia
Doyle PhD |
| Hello Jeff - These after effects seem to be peculiar
to the West African version of Ebola. I do not believe we have these same
effects with the other outbreaks starting in 1976. So, what makes this version of the Ebola virus different. This has been one quirky virus outbreak. The reports of the people who took part in the Ebola vaccine clinical trials have very similar complaints, i.e. joint pain, hair loss from the roots, headaches, eye pain, rashes, in some cases vision and eye problems can lead to blindness. Some patients had reported fever and chills as well. Thus far, medical science cannot explain what causes these after effects. Patty After Effects Of The Ebola Virus On Survivors Painkillers have brought little relief to Victoria Gildor, a 37-year-old Ebola survivor trying to cope with the after effects of the virus.Ebola Gildor was released from a clinic in the Liberian capital Monrovia in January, but she said she has faced health issues ever since. “My hair is rooting up from my skull and I also experience severe pain in my joints,” Gildor said. “My eyes are always feeling painful, like I have drops of sand on them.” Amie Kollie, a 20-year-old survivor, has also experienced problems with her eyes and joints since being discharged from an Ebola management center in October. “I find difficulty in walking because of pain in my right knee,” Kollie said, adding that she feels pain in her eyes and can’t see clearly. Gildor and Kollie are hoping that a new clinic for survivors in the West African country, opened last month in Monrovia by the medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), may be able to help them cope. “MSF’s goal with the clinic is to offer a physical and psychological clinical response to the survivors,” said Leen Verhenne, the MSF’s emergency relief co-ordinator in Liberia. Ebola, a virus transmitted through contact with blood and other bodily fluids, causes massive haemorrhaging and has a fatality rate of up to 90 per cent if left untreated. The most recent outbreak in West Africa, which began in March last year, is the worst outbreak since Ebola was discovered in 1976. Around 30 per cent of victims have survived the virus since then, but little is known about its long-term health effects, and doctors and researchers are still trying to find out what causes the post-recovery health issues being reported today. “We don’t have a clear picture of what exactly is the cause of these symptoms,” Verhenne said. In the case of eye and vision problems, Verhenne said the cause appears to be some kind of uveitis, or inflammation of the eye, which can cause blindness if not treated promptly. “Whether that is due to some kind of immune reaction of the body or a continuous inflammatory process of the ebola viral disease itself is unclear,” she said. An MSF specialist team deployed in Monrovia visited around 250 Ebola survivors and said that many continue to feel ill, even after they have recovered. Around 60 per cent of the survivors they treat report extreme joint pain, and around 50 per cent say they are constantly tired or exhausted. More than 20 per cent report problems with their eyes and 10 per cent suffer from hearing difficulties. Survivors also report psychological problems. Around a fifth of the patients show symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, and around the same number are depressed. Others say they suffer from nightmares and memory loss. Experts worry that these after effects will further strain already overloaded health services in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone the three countries hardest hit by the outbreak. “We estimate that many survivors will have increased medical needs, which could be financially challenging,” said Melissa McRae, a doctor working for the Red Cross in Sierra Leone. McRae said that additional medical services are being offered to Ebola survivors and are improved on a regular basis. The hope, she said, is that the survivor clinics will benefit the greater health systems of affected countries. Many Ebola survivors have also suffered stigmatization, making daily life an emotional challenge after the virus. “Some Ebola survivors report being evicted from their homes or shunned by neighbours,” said Ebola expert Vincent Koch from the British charity Oxfam. “The problem of stigma is quite important,” MSF’s Verhenne said. “We need to find a balance between the messages about Ebola,” she said, explaining that although survivors still suffer from health issues or symptoms, they do not pose any risk for the community. “Ebola survivors are safe to be around in fact the safest people to be around in an Ebola outbreak,” Red Cross doctor McRae said. As the MSF medical team and survivors work together to cope with the effects of the virus, survivors can at least take comfort in the fact that they will not likely have to endure Ebola again in the near future. “We … anticipate that survivors are immune to the disease,” McRae said, acknowledging that the immunity’s duration is still unknown. http://www.spyghana.com/after-effects-of-the-ebola-virus-on-survivors/ |
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