By Leilani S. Junio
MANILA, Oct. 20 (PNA) — Department of Health (DOH) officials have cited the importance of keeping a person’s immune system strong in fighting off the threat of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in case of its emergence in the country.
“Having a strong immune system can help a lot,” Dr. Lyndon Lee-Suy, DOH official spokesperson, said in a recent press briefing when asked how anyone can avoid being infected with the deadly disease which is currently causing undue panic among the people in several countries.
Dr. Lee-Suy cited that maintaining a strong immune system will make a person less vulnerable to contagious diseases like EVD because a strong immune system can help in fighting off the virus, aside from avoiding fluids contact with an infected person.
He said that among the effective ways in keeping the immune system healthy are having enough sleep, proper hand washing, good diet (complete with minerals and vitamins), plenty of exercises, maintaining healthy lifestyle, avoiding stress and staying away from unhealthy vices like drinking alcohol and smoking.
He added that for the dedicated health care workers and laboratory staffs who will primarily handle and treat prospective EVD patients (in case it enters the country), the DOH has prepared Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) as protection gear so that the bodily fluids of a patient will not penetrate them while doing their duty in case a person with EVD will be detected and treated.
He also said that they will be having a “sort of review” on the proper way to wear and take off the PPE’s as a standard procedure to ensure that the “virus will not be spread” during a “specialized training program” for Filipino health workers which will be conducted jointly with the World Health Organization (WHO) starting Oct. 28, this year.
Dr. Julie Hall, WHO country representative in the Philippines, cited that while at present there is no specific treatment or vaccine available against EVD, good supportive care or responding to the symptoms being shown by a patient tested positive with EVD will help in controlling or managing the infection and thus, prevent it from spreading.
Dr. Hall said that “good supportive care” can be provided by giving medication to bring down fever for those who exhibit symptoms of fever, providing fluid replacement for the fluid lost during diarrhea and vomiting and so forth.
She added that EVD is spread to human population through close contact with the bodily or secretions of infected persons. These bodily fluids are blood, sweat, vomit, feces, urine, saliva, and even semen.
Fever, headaches, intense weakness, joint and muscle pains, sore throats are the first symptoms of EVD.
Those symptoms are followed by vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, and liver malfunction, and in some cases both internal and external bleeding.
In other cases, presence of rash, red eyes, hiccups and bleeding from body openings may be experienced by the patient.
Health experts said EVD symptoms are quite similar with malaria, typhoid fever or cholera.
The incubation period (the time interval from infection with the virus to onset of symptoms) is two to 21 days.
According to the DOH, the best thing to do for persons who will be having direct contact with people coming from EVD-affected countries is to report to the nearest government hospitals if they are suspicious about the symptoms they experience so that they can get the proper advice.
Dr. Lee-Suy also assured that the health checklists being filled up by returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are also constantly monitored as part of their tracing efforts in monitoring the health conditions so that possible positive EVD patients can be given immediate care and be referred to the DOH isolation facilities.
The DOH spokesperson also advised the public to avoid scary information or misinformation about EVD and should not develop the fear that they are having EVD when they experience flu-like symptoms when in the first place they do not have any direct contact or exchange of fluids with those possibly infected by EVD.
DOH Undersecretary Janette L. Garin has also cited that scary information will not help and will cause waste of resources if panic will prevail.
“What the public need to do is to be vigilant and be aware more about Ebola so that they will know how they can protect themselves and what proper advice they can give to their relatives or friends who will come from the EVD- affected countries,” Dr. Garin said in an interview with the Philippines News Agency.
She likewise said that it will help a lot if the returning overseas Filipino workers or those coming from West African countries affected by Ebola will honestly fill up the checklist form so that contact tracing will be smoothly conducted and keep the country’s “ebola-free” status.
At present, the DOH has prepared as isolation and referral facilities for possible EVD patients the Research and Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM), Lung Center of the Philippines and San Lazaro Hospital in the National Capital Region.
The DOH has also prepared one regional hospital facility per region to receive referrals for isolation and treatment in case a patient is detected in any of the country’s other regions.
While there is a global call from international agencies and communities to deploy Filipino health workers in West African countries, the Philippine government is focusing first its attention on strengthening its defense system against the possible emergence here of EVD, saying that assistance to other countries can be extended through other means. (PNA)