REVEALED: How Ebola patients
survive
Following the recovery and discharge of the first
Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) patient from the
isolation centre at the Mainland Hospital in
Lagos, facts have emerged as to how the
patients are recovering.
Meanwhile, more patients undergoing medical
treatment at the centre may be discharged this
week, investigations revealed.
Experts, who commented on the development, said
although 60-90 per cent of people infected with the
Ebola virus die, some people do recover from
infection.
"Doctors don't know for certain who will survive
Ebola, and there is no specific treatment or cure for
the disease. But studies suggest there are some
biological markers linked with a higher chance of
surviving Ebola," the experts say.
In the view of Derek Gatherer, a Bioinformatics
researcher at Lancaster University in the United
Kingdom, who studies viral genetics and evolution,
"when a person becomes infected with Ebola, the
virus depletes the body's immune cells, which
defend against infection.
"In particular, the Ebola virus depletes immune cells
called CD4 and CD8 T lymphocytes, which are crucial
to the function of the immune system", Gatherer
noted, arguing that "if a person's immune system can
stand up to this initial attack — meaning their
immune cells are not as depleted in the first stages
of infection — then they are more likely to survive
the disease.
"The patients that survive it best are the ones who
don't get such a bad immune deficiency. But if the
body is not able to fend off this attack, then the
immune system becomes less able to regulate
itself", Gatherer said.
Markers
Another marker linked with people's ability to
survive Ebola is a gene called human leukocyte
antigen-B, which makes a protein that is important in
the immune system. A 2007 study found that people
with certain versions of this gene, called B*07 and
B*14, were more likely to survive Ebola, while
people with other versions, called B*67 and B*15,
were more likely to die.
Some people may be resistant to Ebola infection
entirely, if they have a mutation in a gene called
NPC1. Studies show that, when researchers take cells
from people with the NPC1 mutation and try to
infect them with Ebola in a laboratory dish, these
cells are resistant to the virus.
Gatherer said in European populations, about 1 in
300 to 1 in 400 people has this mutation.
"But in some populations, this mutation is more
common: in Nova Scotia, between 10 and 26 per cent
of people have this mutation. But the frequency of
this mutation in African populations is not known,"
he said.
Also giving an insight, Lagos state Governor
Babatunde Fashola remarked: "This is a virus that will
run a maximum of 21 days. What we must do is
people who show some signs of illness should come
in very early so that we can continue to hydrate
them, give electrolyte balance so that their nervous
system do not go into shock and wherever it is
necessary to provide antibiotics for patients; and
their body can fight the virus which in the event last
no longer than 21 days."
More to be discharged this week — Fashola
Fashola, who spoke at a media briefing where he
indicated that more patients were likely to be
discharged this week, noted: "There is silver lining in
all of this, as report reaching me shows that many of
the critical patients are responding positively to
treatment and are likely to be discharged next week,
(this week).
"At the moment, 61 people have been certified
negative and they have been freed.
"Aside the treatment for those who have full grown
cases, the more important work is tracking all those
who have had contact with them in order to know
how far the virus has spread. It is when we have
finally reach everyone that we can say that we have
control over the virus. From that place we can go
back to sleep."
Nasidi speaks
Also speaking at a different forum, Director, Nigeria
Centre for Diseases Control, NCDC, Prof. Abdulsalim
Nasidi said the likelihood of more patients being
discharged arose from medical reports indicating
that they are showing signs of full recovery from the
disease.
Nasidi, who spoke on the probability of more
patients being discharged, had earlier affirmed that
there were chances of surviving the deadly disease if
treated early.
"Yes, we have some of the patients who have fully
recovered from the disease after intensive medical
treatment and they are likely to go home and
reunite with their family members soon," he
affirmed.
On the downing of tools by the health workers
attending to quarantined patients at the Control
Centre in Lagos, last Friday, he said the workers had
resumed work after appeals and meeting held with
some of the aggrieved workers.
Their decision to stop work followed allegations of
negligence by family members of one of the
patients' nurses that died of EVD last week.
It was also gathered that more essential medical kits
have been made available for distribution to
hospitals in anticipation of more health workers and
volunteers that will be joining the joint medical
team already on ground.
Death toll rises to 1,145 globally — WHO
Meanwhile, death toll from the worst ever outbreak
of Ebola has risen to 1,145, the World Health
Organisation, WHO, has said, even as 76 new deaths
were reported in two in the four West African
nations affected by the epidemic.
The WHO said that a total of 152 confirmed,
probable and suspected new cases of the deadly
hemorrhagic fever were reported in the two day
period in Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone,
bringing the total for the outbreak to 2,127.
Chukwu addresses concerns of Ebola relatives
Minister for Health, Onyebuchi Chukwu who met
with the concerned friends and families of the Ebola
afflicted victims following their complaints about the
welfare of their wards said: "As you know, we have a
serious situation and anyone that has a relative is
bound to be anxious, and when relatives complain,
we must listen."
Chukwu admitted that all the complaints were being
investigated, adding that he had been briefed on the
development and recommendations were being put
in place.
"I'm a doctor myself and I'm behaving now more as a
doctor than as a Minister. Normally, when relatives
of patients complain, I want to see them, working
together, sometimes they do not have the full
information, and who knows, sometimes they
themselves can add valued to what we are doing."
He said the Federal Government was open to
suggestions and contributions.
"We knew the former place was only temporary and
we knew we could do better and that was why the
Lagos State government made every effort to get the
new isolation unit ready. Penultimate Friday, I
visited the Lagos State Governor and he personally
assured me the new facility will be ready this week.
He kept to his word. Of course as soon as it was
ready it was made available and the patients have
been moved to the new facility, which is better than
where they were before."
Pointing out that no stone was being left unturned,
he said hopefully all shortcomings they may have
observed were actually being addressed by the new
place.
"I had to personally discuss with the Chief Medical
Director of LUTH, Prof Akin Oshibogun, when I was
told they were not satisfied with facilities for critical
care. That is why we have reinforced what is
available. New equipment has been put in to
reassure the patients that we would do everything
humanly possible to keep them alive and to return
them to their families and work," the Minister
explained.
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