Locals Help Prevent Spread Of Ebola By Staying In
Local population at Freetown, Sierra Leone, cooperated whole-heatedly in effecting the lockdown proposed to keep Ebola virus at bay. This was the second occasion when the city with a population of six million were advised to remain indoors in a bid to contain the spread of the highly contagious virus.
The lockdown was ordered by President Ernest Bai Koroma. It lasted about two-and-a-half days. It involved counseling sessions conducted by about 26,000 volunteers who went around conducting door-to-door counseling to local residents. The hotspots in the capital, Freetown, were the focus of attention. Some areas in the northern and western parts of Sierra Leone were also covered.
The latest lockdown was a precautionary measure against the disease that had claimed about 3,700 lives in Sierra Leone. Ebola virus is probably the most deadly virus known to infect man. An infected person shows symptoms of vomiting and fever.
The spread of the disease began in the later part of 2013 in Guinea. The virus spread to neighboring countries of Sierra Leone and Liberia. WHO estimates an average of 10,300 casualties caused by the Ebola virus.
Direct contact with the blood of an infected person results in the infection being transferred. Even the sweat of the infected person is contagious. The virus is also known to be transferred if anyone has sexual contact with an infected person.
It might spread to a person involved in handling dead bodies of those infected.
The worst part of it is there is no vaccine to prevent an infection. Moreover, a treatment is also not available at present for a patient who has contracted the Ebola virus.
