Ebola: Returning to the old ways

The much dreaded Ebola Virus Disease, EVD, that prompted the raising of hygiene culture in Lagos State to an unprecedented level has come back again. Not in Lagos really. The hygiene culture so elicited has waned as if pathogens have been eradicated from the earth and may not visit again, as observed by Adekitan Funso

When The EVD made its way to Lagos, Nigeria through a Liberia-American diplomat, Patrick Sawyer, there was pandemonium, tension, fear and rumour of various kinds in Lagos. Luckily, with much effort by the necessary agencies and awareness campaign among the people, the spread was curbed. Now, the Ebola air in Lagos State is becoming palpable due to the resurgence of the virus in Liberia 42 days after the country was declared free from the disease. The assumption again is that it could still slip into Lagos like the case of Sawyer. It means Lagosians would have to step up their hygiene culture, of regular washing of hands, safety and hygiene consciousness. Musa Johnson, a banker in Lagos expressed deep concern that the hygienic consciousness raised to an appreciable level at the rampaging days of Ebola in Lagos and Rivers State has declined. A habit which he thought Ebola made Nigerians to attain and which we ought to retain and improve upon.

“What the hell are we doing, why must we go back to where we were? As if God never said, “cleanliness is next to godliness.” That sanitation culture we raised at the Ebola days in Nigeria has moved back if not worse than what it used to be. If you move around Lagos today, you will observe people eating uncontrollably with unwashed hands and unwashed fruits which was not like that sometime in August to the end of 2014. People now urinate indiscriminately. It’s said, when a wound heals, the pain so experienced is forgotten. Corporate organizations have stopped the use of hand sanitizers in their premises. Water has stopped running in many schools,” he said.

Johnson went further to say that Nigeria borders have become porous except for the airports that one could still see some level of that alertness. He still said that Nigeria being what it is, that he may not be in doubt that all the screening centres have closed. At the heat of the virus spread, many churches in Nigeria stopped exchanging handshake and also declined in sharing in Holy Communion for the fear of contacting the dreaded EVD. People even stopped patronizing roasted meat sellers (suya) out of fear. Today, life has gone back to usual in those joints. It is now very common to see fried meat, bean cake and many other edibles that ought to be covered, exposed to germs. Raising our hygiene bar ought not be negotiable because indicators are there that Ebola may not be entirely wiped out from the environment like the Dr Thomas Freiden, head of the United States Centre for Disease Control and Prevention CDC, last year December, expressed his greatest worry that the truth about Ebola is that it never gets completely controlled, that it may become consistently in existence in parts of Africa. Helen Akintola, a Lagos health officer, said Nigerians think hygiene is not for black man to abide with, as if they are immune from bacteria.

“It is only by the grace of God that people survive in this country from Virus related diseases. We thank God in no small measure that when Ebola came into this country, it never started in a remote area or in part of the North. It could have been wrongly diagnosed as one of the common diseases to the locality, by then it could have taken months of unhindered spread before it could be identified as Ebola. I strongly advise that Lagosians step up their hygiene standard and maintain it.

They shouldn’t see the habit as a pick and drop habit,” she said. According to WHO, sexual transmission of Ebola from recovering patients cannot be ruled out, as its report of April 15th, 2015 enunciated the trace of Ebola in a semen sample of a man who had recovered of Ebola six months after. WHO, advised survivors to consider constant use of condom for all sexual acts beyond three months until more information is available. The world body also said Breast milk could also spread the virus, that mothers ill with Ebola are advised not to feed their babies with breast milk. However, the Federal Government, through the director press and public relations, Ayotunde Adesugba, has advised Nigerians to be vigilant and embrace basic hygiene as a fresh case of Ebola (EVD) is being tackled in Liberia.