Lecture 12: Ebola Flashcards
Is the viral load the same throughout Ebola infection?
No. Asymptomatic ebola patients have a lower viral load and very sick patients have a very high viral load. Post-mortem there is a very high viral load.
Why are women and healthcare workers at a higher risk of contracting ebola?
They take care of the sick and dying. The healthcare workers don’t have PPE and soap, etc
Why is the high risk of healthcare workers contracting ebola a big problem?
In countries where ebola occurs, there is a shortage of healthcare workers. High risk does not only mean they get sick and/or die, but also that they may quit out of fear
What are possible interventions for Ebola?
Possible effective Ebola interventions:
•Community awareness. Know what is going on and what to do
•Active case-finding and treatment
•Diagnosis. Seems easy, but you need to have a lab close to your treatment centre to prevent delays in diagnosis due to shipping samples
•Contact tracing
•Safe and dignified burials: lots of touching and people travelling to funerals
•Affirmation of suspect cases. Otherwise everyone needs to be isolated or mixed with people who do have Ebola. Then your suspect wards become transmission sites
•Vaccination. Merck and Johnson&Johnson
What is important to focus on that is not Ebola?
Continuation of healthcare. Solely focusing on Ebola causes an increase in deaths from e.g. malaria and causes vaccination programs to slow down or stop.
What are the available treatments for Ebola?
Treatments Ebola:
Inmazeb and ebanga are recommended by the WHO for Ebola
Why did the mortality remain high while there was treatment and a vaccine?
Mistrust and distrust in the governmental system and the NGOs. Other diseases were almost ignored compared to Ebola and that did not sit well with the population. Avoidance of healthcare.
What is an unexpected type of healthcare to think of in Ebola interventions?
Local pharmacies provide a bit of healthcare and should be taken into account
Which popular mode of transport increases transmission and why?
Motor bikes! Keeping your distance and not touching the person with you on the motor bike is impossible
What can help decrease distrust in Ebola treatment centres?
Involve them in the design of the treatment centre. Show them the centre before opening it and explain what everything is and what will be done there. Having low-risk zones where they can visit patients
