Ebola Outbreak – how to protect yourself, what protection to buy
Ebola is a highly contagious and deadly disease that has already infected many people of West Africa. If you are planning to travel to any of the West African countries, like Sierra Leone, Nigeria, or Guinea, then you might want to reconsider. This is the first way to protect yourself because going to where the disease is widely spread will increase your risks of obtaining it. For most people, this will not be a problem because West Africa is not a popular tourist attraction. However, there are those who come to West Africa to treat Ebola patients and will have to take extra precautions.
Like any disease, the best way to protect yourself from getting Ebola is to wash and sanitize your hands as often as possible. Try to use a hand sanitizer with alcohol because that will be more effective in cleaning yourself. If you are around a lot of blood, especially the blood of infected patients, then avoid getting that blood on you. This also goes for any other form of bodily fluids from a patient, such as urine or saliva. The best thing to do is wear a surgical mask and a scrub suit when you are around these fluids. You should also wear latex gloves to further reduce your chances of exposure, but you must still sanitize your hands afterwards. But no matter what, never touch the body of a dead Ebola patient.
If you have been around anyone with Ebola and are starting to experience flu-like symptoms, then you should seek medical care immediately. These symptoms could be fatigue, fever, muscle pains, headache, vomiting, diarrhea and unexplained bleeding. Chances are you will get all of these symptoms at once if you have Ebola. The earlier you seek medical attention the better chance you will have of surviving.
It is easier for people who have been around Ebola patients to recognize their symptoms and take proper precautions. The scary part is if Ebola ever breaks out into normal society amongst people who are not ready or prepared for it. That is why it never hurts to wash your hands thoroughly after meals or even shaking somebody’s hand. Keep yourself clean and get regular doctor checkups to make sure you are healthy. Then check the news periodically to see the latest coverage on Ebola and if it is spreading to your area. If they say it is then take extra measures to sanitize yourself every chance you get.
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