Coronavirus disease (COVID-19)
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus.
Most people who fall sick with COVID-19 will experience mild to moderate symptoms and recover without special treatment.
How it spreads
The virus that causes COVID-19 is mainly transmitted through droplets generated when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or exhales. These droplets are too heavy to hang in the air, and quickly fall on floors or surfaces.
You can be infected by breathing in the virus if you are within close proximity of someone who has COVID-19, or by touching a contaminated surface and then your eyes, nose or mouth.
Symptoms
COVID-19 affects different people in different ways. Most infected people will develop mild to moderate illness and recover without hospitalization.
Most common symptoms:
• fever
• dry cough
• tiredness
Less common symptoms:
• aches and pains
• sore throat
• diarrhoea
• conjunctivitis
• headache
• loss of taste or smell
• a rash on skin, or discolouration of fingers or toes
Serious symptoms:
• difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• chest pain or pressure
• loss of speech or movement
Seek immediate medical attention if you have serious symptoms. Always call before visiting your doctor or health facility.
People with mild symptoms who are otherwise healthy should manage their symptoms at home.
On average it takes 5–6 days from when someone is infected with the virus for symptoms to show, however it can take up to 14 days.
Prevention
Protect yourself and others around you by knowing the facts and taking appropriate precautions. Follow advice provided by your local public health agency.
To prevent the spread of COVID-19:
• Clean your hands often. Use soap and water, or an alcohol-based hand rub.
• Maintain a safe distance from anyone who is coughing or sneezing.
• Don’t touch your eyes, nose or mouth.
• Cover your nose and mouth with your bent elbow or a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
• Stay home if you feel unwell.
• If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention. Call in advance.
• Follow the directions of your local health authority.
Avoiding unneeded visits to medical facilities allows healthcare systems to operate more effectively, therefore protecting you and others.
Treatments
To date, there are no specific vaccines or medicines for COVID-19.
Treatments are under investigation, and will be tested through clinical trials.
If you feel sick you should rest, drink plenty of fluid, and eat nutritious food. Stay in a separate room from other family members, and use a dedicated bathroom if possible. Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces.
Everyone should keep a healthy lifestyle at home. Maintain a healthy diet, sleep, stay active, and make social contact with loved ones through the phone or internet. Children need extra love and attention from adults during difficult times. Keep to regular routines and schedules as much as possible.
It is normal to feel sad, stressed, or confused during a crisis. Talking to people you trust, such as friends and family, can help. If you feel overwhelmed, talk to a health worker or counsellor. https://www.google.com/covid19/#safety-tips
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19)
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus.
Most people who fall sick with COVID-19 will experience mild to moderate symptoms and recover without special treatment.
How it spreads
The virus that causes COVID-19 is mainly transmitted through droplets generated when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or exhales. These droplets are too heavy to hang in the air, and quickly fall on floors or surfaces.
You can be infected by breathing in the virus if you are within close proximity of someone who has COVID-19, or by touching a contaminated surface and then your eyes, nose or mouth.
COVID-19 affects different people in different ways. Most infected people will develop mild to moderate illness and recover without hospitalization.
Most common symptoms:
• fever
• dry cough
• tiredness
Less common symptoms:
• aches and pains
• sore throat
• diarrhoea
• conjunctivitis
• headache
• loss of taste or smell
• a rash on skin, or discolouration of fingers or toes
Serious symptoms:
• difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• chest pain or pressure
• loss of speech or movement
Seek immediate medical attention if you have serious symptoms. Always call before visiting your doctor or health facility.
People with mild symptoms who are otherwise healthy should manage their symptoms at home.
On average it takes 5–6 days from when someone is infected with the virus for symptoms to show, however it can take up to 14 days.
Prevention
Protect yourself and others around you by knowing the facts and taking appropriate precautions. Follow advice provided by your local public health agency.
To prevent the spread of COVID-19:
• Clean your hands often. Use soap and water, or an alcohol-based hand rub.
• Maintain a safe distance from anyone who is coughing or sneezing.
• Don’t touch your eyes, nose or mouth.
• Cover your nose and mouth with your bent elbow or a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
• Stay home if you feel unwell.
• If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention. Call in advance.
• Follow the directions of your local health authority.
Avoiding unneeded visits to medical facilities allows healthcare systems to operate more effectively, therefore protecting you and others.
Treatments
To date, there are no specific vaccines or medicines for COVID-19.
Treatments are under investigation, and will be tested through clinical trials.
If you feel sick you should rest, drink plenty of fluid, and eat nutritious food. Stay in a separate room from other family members, and use a dedicated bathroom if possible. Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces.
Everyone should keep a healthy lifestyle at home. Maintain a healthy diet, sleep, stay active, and make social contact with loved ones through the phone or internet. Children need extra love and attention from adults during difficult times. Keep to regular routines and schedules as much as possible.
It is normal to feel sad, stressed, or confused during a crisis. Talking to people you trust, such as friends and family, can help. If you feel overwhelmed, talk to a health worker or counsellor. https://www.google.com/covid19/#safety-tips
What is Ebola?
Ebola
virus disease (EVD), Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF) or simply Ebola is a disease
of humans and other mammals caused by an ebola virus.
Signs and symptoms typically start between 2 days and 3 weeks after contracting
the virus, with a fever, throat, muscle and headaches.
Then, vomiting, diarrhea and rash usually
follows, along with decreased function of the liver and kidneys. Around this time,
infected people may begin to bleed both within the body and externally. Death, if it occurs, is typically 6 to 16 days from
the start of symptoms and is often due to low blood pressure from fluid loss.
The
virus may be acquired upon contact with blood or other body fluids of an infected human or other animal.[1] Spread
through the air has not been documented in the natural environment. Fruit bats are believed to be the normal carrier in nature, able to spread the virus without being affected.
Humans become infected by contact with the bats or a living or dead animal that
have been infected by bats. Once human infection occurs, the disease may spread
between people as well. Male survivors may be able to transmit the disease via semen for nearly
two months. To diagnose EVD, other diseases with similar symptoms such as malaria, cholera and other viral
hemorrhagic fevers are first
excluded. Blood samples are tested for viral antibodies,
viral RNA, or the virus itself to confirm the diagnosis.
Outbreak
control requires a coordinated series of medical services, along with a certain
level of community engagement. The necessary medical services include rapid
detection and contact tracing,
quick access to appropriate laboratory services, proper management of those who
are infected, and proper disposal of the dead through cremation or burial. Prevention includes decreasing the spread of disease
from infected animals to humans. This may be
done by only handling potentially infected bush meat while wearing
proper protective clothing and by thoroughly cooking it before consumption.
It also includes wearing proper protective clothing
and washing hands when around a person with the disease. Samples of body fluids and tissues from people with
the disease should be handled with special caution.
No
specific treatment for the disease is yet available. Efforts to help those who
are infected are supportive and include giving either oral
rehydration therapy (slightly
sweet and salty water to drink) or intravenous fluids. This supportive care improves outcomes. The disease
has a high risk of death, killing between 25% and 90% of those infected with
the virus (average is 50%). EVD was first identified in an area of Sudan (now part of South Sudan),
as well as in Zaire (now the Democratic
Republic of the Congo). The disease
typically occurs in outbreaks in tropical regions of sub-Saharan Africa. From 1976
(when it was first identified) through 2013, the World Health
Organization reported a
total of 1,716 cases. The largest
outbreak to date is the ongoing 2014
West African Ebola outbreak, which is
currently affecting Guinea, Sierra Leone,
and Liberia.
As of 15 October 2014, 8,998 suspected cases resulting
in the deaths of 4,493 have been reported. Efforts are under way to develop a vaccine;
however, none yet exists.
Signs
and symptoms
The
time between exposure to the virus and the development of symptoms of the
disease is usually 2 to 21 days. Some have
estimated that around 5% of cases may take greater than 21 days to develop.
Symptoms
usually begin with a sudden influenza-like
stage characterized by feeling tired, fever, and pain in the
muscles and joints. The fever is usually greater than 38.3 °C
(100.9 °F). This is than
often followed by vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal
pain. Shortness of breath and chest pain may occur next along with swelling, headaches and confusion. In about half
of cases, the skin may develop amaculopapular rash (a flat red area covered with small bumps).
The
bleeding phase typically begins five to seven days after first symptoms.
All people show some decreased blood clotting. Bleeding from
mucous membranes or from sites of needle punctures is reported in 40–50% of
cases. This may result in the vomiting of blood, coughing
up of blood or blood in stool. Bleeding into the skin may create petechiae, purpura, ecchymoses, hematomas (especially
around needle injection sites). There may
alos be bleeding into
the whites of the eyes. Heavy
bleeding is uncommon and is usually confined to the gastrointestinal
tract.
Recovery
may begin between 7 and 14 days after the start of symptoms. While, death, if it occurs, is typically 6 to 16 days
from the start of symptoms and is often due to low blood pressure from fluid loss. In general,
the development of bleeding often indicates a worse outcome and this blood loss
can result in death. People are
often in a coma near the end
of life. Those who survive often have ongoing muscle and joint
pain, liver inflammation, and decreased hearing among other difficulties.
Cause
Ebola virus disease in humans is
caused by four of five viruses in the genus Ebolavirus.
The four are Bundibugyo virus (BDBV), Sudan virus (SUDV), Taï Forest virus (TAFV), and one called, simply, Ebola virus (EBOV, formerly
Zaire Ebola virus). Ebola virus
is the only member of the Zaire ebolavirus species and the most dangerous of the known EVD-causing
viruses, as well as being responsible for the largest number of outbreaks. The fifth virus, Reston virus (RESTV), is not
thought to cause disease in humans, but has caused disease in non-human
primates. These five viruses are closely related to marburg viruses.
Transmission
The
spread of Ebola between people occurs only by direct contact with the blood or body fluids of a person after symptoms have developed.[1] This includes embalming of an
infected dead body or by contact with objects contaminated by the virus,
particularly needles and syringes. Body fluids
that may transmit ebola viruses include saliva, mucus, vomit, feces, sweat,
tears, breast milk, urine, and semen. Entry points include the nose, mouth,
eyes, or open wounds, cuts and abrasions. Transmission from other animals to humans
occurs only via contact with body fluids of, or consumption of, an infected
mammal, such as a fruit bat,
or ape. This is also believed to be the method that has led to human outbreaks.
The potential for widespread EVD infections in countries with medical systems capable of observing
the correct medical isolation procedures is considered low.
An
infected individual with mild early stage symptoms may feel well enough to
travel without assistance. At that stage however, that person's ability to
spread the disease is often limited. As transmission via air is generally ruled
out, the possibility of transmission between non-seat-mate airline passengers
is unlikely. Because dead bodies are still infectious, traditional burial
rituals may spread the disease. Nearly two thirds of the cases of Ebola
infections in Guinea during the 2014 outbreak are believed to have been
contracted via unprotected (or unsuitably protected) contact with infected
corpses during certain Guinean burial rituals. EBOV and SUDV may be able to
persist in the semen of survivors
for up to seven weeks, which could give rise to infections and disease via sexual intercourse. It is not
entirely clear how an outbreak is initially started.
One of
the primary reasons for spread is that the health systems function poorly in
parts of Africa where the disease mostly occurs. Medical workers who do not wear appropriate protective
clothing may contract the disease. Hospital-acquired transmission has occurred in the United States and African countries due to the reuse of needles or
lack of body substance
isolation. Some healthcare centers caring for people with the
disease do not have running water.
Airborne
transmission has not been documented during EVD outbreaks. Transmission among rhesus monkeys via breathable 0.8–1.2 μm airborne droplets has
been demonstrated in the laboratory.
Reservoir
Bats
are considered the most likely natural reservoir of EBOV. Plants, arthropods,
and birds have also been considered. In the wild,
transmission may occur when infected fruit bats drop partially eaten fruits or fruit pulp, then land
mammals such as gorillas and duikers may feed on these fallen fruits. This chain of events
forms a possible indirect means of transmission from the natural host species
to other animal species, which has led to research into viral shedding in the saliva of fruit bats. Fruit production, animal
behavior, and other factors vary at different times and places that may trigger
outbreaks among animal populations.
Bats
were known to reside in the cotton factory in which the first cases of the 1976 and 1979 outbreaks were observed, and they
have also been implicated in Marburg virus infections in 1975 and 1980. Of 24 plant species and 19 vertebrate
species experimentally inoculated with EBOV, only bats became infected. The bats displayed no clinical signs and is evidence
that these bats are a reservoir species of the virus. In a 2002–2003 survey of
1,030 animals including 679 bats from Gabon and the Republic of the
Congo, 13 fruit bats were found
to contain EBOV RNA fragments. As of 2005,
three types of fruit bats (Hypsignathus monstrosus, Epomops
franqueti, and Myonycteris torquata) have been identified as being in contact with EBOV.
They are now suspected to represent the EBOV reservoir hosts. Antibodies
against Zaire and Reston viruses have been found in fruit bats in Bangladesh,
thus identifying potential virus hosts and signs of the filoviruses in Asia.
Between
1976 and 1998, in 30,000 mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and arthropods sampled from outbreak regions, no Ebola virus was
detected apart from some genetic traces found in six rodents (Mussetulosus and Praomys) and one shrew (Sylvisorex
ollula) collected from the Central African
Republic. Traces of EBOV were
detected in the carcasses of gorillas and
chimpanzees during outbreaks in 2001 and 2003, which later became the source of
human infections. However, the high lethality from infection in these species
makes them unlikely as a natural reservoir.
Virology
They contain single-strand, non-infectious RNA genomes. Ebolavirus genomes are approximately 19 kilobase pairs long and
contain seven genes in the order 3'-UTR-NP-VP35-VP40-GP-VP30-VP24-L-5'-UTR. The genomes of the five different ebola viruses
(BDBV, EBOV, RESTV, SUDV, and TAFV) differ in sequence and the number and location of gene overlaps. Like all filoviruses, ebola virions are filamentous particles that
may appear in the shape of a shepherd's crook or in the shape of a
"U" or a "6", and they may be coiled, toroid, or branched. In general, ebola virions are 80 nm in width, but
vary somewhat in length. In general, the median particle length of ebola viruses
ranges from 974 to 1,086 nm (in contrast to marburgvirions, whose median
particle length was measured at 795–828 nm), but particles as long as
14,000 nm have been detected in tissue culture.
Their life cycle begins with virion attachment to specific cell-surface receptors, followed by fusion of the virion envelope with cellular membranes and the
concomitant release of the virus nucleocapsid into the cytosol.
Ebolavirus' structural glycoprotein (known as GP1,2) is responsible for the
virus' ability to bind to and infect targeted cells. The viral RNA
polymerase, encoded by the L gene,
partially uncoats the nucleocapsid and transcribes the genes into positive-strand mRNAs, which are then translated into structural and nonstructural proteins. The most
abundant protein produced is the nucleoprotein, whose concentration in the cell
determines when L switches from gene transcription to genome replication.
Replication results in full-length, positive-strand antigenomes that are, in
turn, transcribed into negative-strand virus progeny genome copy. Newly
synthesized structural proteins and genomes self-assemble and accumulate near
the inside of the cell membrane.
Virions bud off from the
cell, gaining their envelopes from the cellular membrane they bud from. The
mature progeny particles then infect other cells to repeat the cycle. The Ebola
virus genetics are difficult to study due to its virulent nature.
Pathophysiology
Cells
lining the inside of blood vessels (endothelial cells), macrophages,
monocytes, and liver cells are the main targets of infection. After infection, a
secreted glycoprotein,
known as small soluble glycoprotein (sGP) or as the Ebola virus glycoprotein
(GP), is synthesized. Ebola virus replication overwhelms protein synthesis of
infected cells and host immune defenses. The GP forms a trimeric complex, which binds the virus to
the endothelial cells. The sGP forms a dimeric
protein that interferes with the signaling of neutrophils,
a type of white blood cell, which allows the virus to evade the immune system by inhibiting early
steps of neutrophil activation. These white blood cells also serve as carriers
to transport the virus throughout the entire body to places such as the lymph nodes,
liver, lungs, and spleen. The presence
of viral particles and cell damage resulting from budding causes the release of chemical signals (TNF-α, IL-6, IL-8, etc.),
which are molecular signals for fever and inflammation. The damage to human cells, caused by infection of the endothelial cells,
decreases blood vessel integrity. This loss of vascular integrity is furthered
with the synthesis of GP, which reduces specific integrins responsible
for cell adhesion to the intercellular structure, and damage to the liver,
which leads to improper clotting.
Filoviral
infection is also known to interfere with proper functioning of the innate immune
system. Ebola virus proteins have demonstrated the ability to
blunt the human immune system's response to viral infections by interfering
with cells' ability to produce and respond to interferon proteins such as interferon-alpha, interferon-beta,
and interferon gamma. This interference is accomplished by the VP24 and VP35
ebola virus structural proteins. When cells are infected with ebola virus,
receptors located in the cell's cytosol (such as RIG-I and MDA5) or outside of the
cytosol (such as Toll-like receptor
3, Toll-like receptor
7, Toll-like receptor
8, and Toll-like receptor
9), recognize infectious
molecules associated with the virus. After these receptors are activated, proteins
including interferon
regulatory factor 3 and interferon
regulatory factor 7 start a
signaling cascade that leads to the expression of type 1 interferons. Type 1 interferons are then released and bind to
neighboring uninfected cells expressing the IFNAR1 and IFNAR2 receptors on
their surface.[52] Once interferon has bound to its receptors on the
neighboring uninfected cell, the signaling proteins STAT1 and STAT2 are activated
and move to the uninfected cell'snucleus. This triggers the expression of interferon-stimulated genes, which code for proteins that have antiviral
properties. Ebola virus' V24 protein prevents the STAT1 signaling
protein in the neighboring uninfected cells from entering the cell's nucleus
and therefore prevents the creation of these antiviral proteins. A separate ebola virus protein, known as VP35,
directly inhibits the production of interferon-beta.
Diagnosis
The
travel and work history along with exposure to wildlife are important to
consider when the diagnosis of EVD is suspected. The diagnosis is confirmed by
isolating the virus, detecting its RNA or proteins, or detecting antibodies against the virus in a person's blood. Isolating the
virus by cell culture,
detecting the viral RNA by polymerase
chain reaction
(PCR) and detecting proteins by enzyme-linked
immunosorbent assay (ELISA) works
best early and in those who have died from the disease. Detecting antibodies
against the virus works best late in the disease and in those who recover.
During
an outbreak, virus isolation is often not feasible. The most common diagnostic
methods are therefore real-time PCR and ELISA detection of proteins, which can
be performed in field or mobile hospitals. Filovirions can be seen and identified in cell culture
by electron microscopy due to their unique filamentous shapes, but electron
microscopy cannot tell the difference between the various filoviruses despite
there being some length differences.
Laboratory testing
Changes
on laboratory tests as a result of Ebola virus disease include a low platelet count in the blood, an initially decreased white blood cell count followed by an increase in the white blood cell count, elevated levels of the liver enzymes alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate
aminotransferase (AST), and
abnormalities in clotting often consistent with disseminated
intravascular coagulation (DIC) such as
a prolonged prothrombin time, partial
thromboplastin time, and bleeding time.
Differential diagnosis
Early symptoms
of EVD may be similar to those of other diseases common in Africa including malaria and dengue fever . The symptoms
are also similar to those of Marburg virus
disease and other viral
hemorrhagic fevers.
The
complete differential
diagnosis is long and includes many other infectious diseases
such as typhoid fever, shigellosis, rickettsial diseases, cholera, sepsis, borreliosis, EHEC
enteritis, leptospirosis, scrub typhus, plague, Q fever, candidiasis, histoplasmosis, trypanosomiasis, visceral leishmaniasis, measles, and viral hepatitis among others. Non-infectious
diseases that can be confused with EVD include acute promyelocytic
leukemia, hemolytic
uremic syndrome, snake envenomation, clotting factor deficiencies/platelet disorders, thrombotic
thrombocytopenic purpura, hereditary
hemorrhagic telangiectasia, Kawasaki disease, and warfarin poisoning
among others.
Prevention
Infection control
The
risk of transmission is increased amongst Ebola caregivers. Recommended
measures when caring for people infected with Ebola include barrier-isolation, sterilizing equipment and surfaces, and wearing protective clothing including masks,
gloves, gowns, and goggles. If a person with Ebola dies, direct contact with
the body of the deceased patient should be avoided. The care of those individuals who have become infected
with Ebola must be administered while carefully observing a very high-level of
barrier-separation from the person infected, along with various certain
cleaning and disinfection techniques. Education of
those who provide care in these techniques, and the provision of such
barrier-separation supplies has been a priority of the Doctors Without Borders organization. Successfully
addressing one of the "biggest danger(s) of infection" faced by
medical staff requires learning proper suit-up and removal of personal
protective equipment. In Sierra Leone, the typical training period for the use
of such safety equipment lasts approximately 12 days.
One
step recommended by the World Health
Organization is the
education of the general public of the risk factors for Ebola infection and of
the protective measures individuals can take. These include avoiding direct contact with infected
people and regular hand washing using soap and water. Bushmeat, an important source of protein in the diet of some
Africans, should be handled with appropriate protective clothing and thoroughly
cooked before consumption. Some research
suggests that an outbreak in the wild animals used for consumption may result
in a corresponding human outbreak. Since 2003, such animal outbreaks have been
monitored with the aim of predicting and preventing Ebola outbreaks in humans.
Older burial rituals, which
might have included making any kind of direct contact with a corpse, require
reformulation such that they consistently maintain a proper protective barrier
between the corpse and the living. Risk of
transmission does not end with a person's death, and thus it is recommended
that the bodies of people who have died from Ebola be buried or cremated only with
proper care. Social anthropologists may help find alternatives to
traditional rules for burials. Airline crews
are instructed to follow a certain isolation procedure should anyone exhibit
symptoms resembling the Ebola virus disease.
Ebola viruses
can be eliminated with heat (heating for 30 to 60 minutes at 60°C or
boiling for 5 minutes). To disinfect surfaces,
some lipid solvents such as some alcohol-based products, detergents, sodium
hypochlorite (bleach) or calcium hypochlorite (bleaching powder), and other
suitable disinfectants at appropriate concentrations can be used. As disinfectants.
In
laboratories where diagnostic testing is carried out, biosafety level 4-equivalent containment is required, since ebola viruses are World Health
Organization Risk Group 4
pathogens. Laboratory researchers must be properly trained in BSL-4 practices
and wear proper personal protective equipment.
Quarantine
Quarantine,
also known as enforced isolation, is usually effective in decreasing spread. Governments often quarantine areas where the disease
is occurring or individuals who may transmit the disease outside of an initial
area. In the United States, the law allows quarantine of
those infected with ebola viruses. During the
2014 outbreak, Liberia closed schools. On October
16, 2014, some schools were closed in Ohio and Texas as a precaution after one
of two nurses who contracted Ebola after caring for Dallas Ebola victim Thomas
Eric Duncan, had returned to the Cleveland area and may have been on the same
plane as some students, teachers and parents of students from those schools.
Contact tracing
Contact tracing is regarded as important to contain an outbreak. It
involves finding everyone who had close contact with infected individuals and
watching for signs of illness for 21 days. If any of these contacts comes down
with the disease, they should be isolated, tested, and treated. Then repeat the
process by tracing the contacts' contacts.
Treatment
Standard support
No
ebola virus-specific treatment is currently approved. However, survival is improved by early supportive care
with rehydration and symptomatic treatment. Treatment is primarily supportive in nature. These
measures may include management of pain, nausea, fever and anxiety, as
well as rehydration via the oral or by intravenous route. Blood
products such as packed red blood
cells, platelets or fresh frozen plasma may also be used. Other regulators of coagulation have also been tried
including heparin in an effort
to prevent disseminated
intravascular coagulation and clotting factors to decrease bleeding. Antimalarial medications and antibiotics are often used before the diagnosis is confirmed, though there is no evidence to suggest such treatment
is in any way helpful.
Intensive care
Intensive care is often used in the developed world. This may include maintaining blood volume and
electrolytes (salts) balance as well as treating any bacterial infections that
may develop. Dialysis may be needed
for kidney failure while extracorporeal
membrane oxygen at ion may be
used for lung dysfunction.
Alternative medicine
The Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) advises
people to be careful of advertisements making unverified or fraudulent claims
of benefits supposedly gained from various anti-Ebola products. The FDA has already sent out at least one letter of
warning to a seller of colloidal silver who made unverified claims of Ebola related benefits,
supposedly derived from the use of their products.
Prognosis
Ebola
virus disease has a high risk of death in
those infected which varies
between 25 percent and 90 percent of those infected. As of September 2014, the average risk of death among
those infected is 50%. The risk of
death was 90% in the 2002–2003 Republic of the
Congo outbreak. There are
indications based on variations between countries that early and effective
treatment of symptoms (e.g., supportive care to prevent dehydration) may reduce
the risk of death
If an
infected person survives, recovery may be quick and complete. Prolonged cases
are often complicated by the occurrence of long-term problems, such as inflammation of the testicles, joint pains, muscle pains, skin peeling,
or hair loss.
Eye symptoms, such as light sensitivity, excess tearing, iritis, iridocyclitis, choroiditis, and blindness have also
been described.
From Wikipedia