No Ebola in UAE: Health Ministry

Dr Amin Al Amiri, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health, Public Health Policies and Licenses has said there is no presence of any Ebola virus case in the UAE.

Speaking to ‘Al Bayan’ Dr Amiri said the procedures and precautions followed by the health authorities will prevent the entry of the Ebola virus into the country.

He added that the ministry is closely following all global developments related to virus.

He added that a Central Committee, which includes all health authorities, will hold a special meeting on Monday, August 4, to discuss the latest global developments related to the disease, and the recommendations and guidance of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Center for Disease Control in the United States.

Any new instructions from the WHO will be circulated to all health authorities, private sector and all stakeholders, including municipalities and the Ministry of Environment.

Essa Al Maidoor, Director General of the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) was quoted by ‘Al Bayan’ as saying, “The DHA is in constant communication and coordination with the Central Committee and all actions to be taken by the committee will be applied at the state level.”

He said the DHA has an electronic system to monitor infectious diseases and is in constant contact with local and international bodies following global developments related to Ebola disease.

Emirates suspends service to Conakry

Emirates will be suspending its service to Conakry from today (August 2, 2014) until further notice, due to the outbreak of the Ebola virus in Guinea.

“We apologise for any inconvenience caused to our customers, however the safety of our passengers and crew is of the highest priority and will not be compromised.

We are continuing our operations to Dakar, Senegal, and will be guided by the advice and updates from the government and international health authorities.

Customers are advised to contact their travel agent or Emirates Call Centres for rebooking options, and visit the website for further updates,” an Emirates statement said.

5 things to know about Ebola and how it is spread:

THE WEST AFRICA EBOLA OUTBREAK IS NOW THE LARGEST IN HISTORY

The current outbreak in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone has sickened more than 1,300 people and killed more than 700 this year.

BUT SOME PEOPLE HAVE SURVIVED EBOLA

While the fatality rate for Ebola can be as high as 90 per cent, health officials in the three countries say people have recovered from the virus and the current death rate is about 70 per cent. Those who fared best sought immediate medical attention and got supportive care to prevent dehydration even though there is no specific treatment for Ebola itself.

EBOLA CAN LOOK A LOT LIKE OTHER DISEASES

The early symptoms of an Ebola infection include fever, headache, muscle aches and sore throat, according to the World Health Organisation. It can be difficult to distinguish between Ebola and the symptoms of malaria, typhoid fever or cholera. Only in later stages do people with Ebola begin bleeding both internally and externally, often through the nose and ears.

EBOLA IS ONLY SPREAD THROUGH BODILY FLUIDS

The Ebola virus is not airborne, so people would have to come into contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person. These include blood, sweat, vomit, feces, urine, saliva or semen — making transmission through casual contact in a public setting unlikely.

FEAR AND MISINFORMATION THOUGH IS MAKING THINGS WORSE

In each of the affected countries, health workers and clinics have come under attack from panicked residents who mistakenly blame foreign doctors and nurses for bringing the virus to remote communities. Family members also have removed sick Ebola patients from hospitals, including one woman in Sierra Leone's capital who later died. Police had to use tear gas to disperse others who attacked a hospital in the country.
 

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