Ebola in US: West Africans in New York face Ebola stigma

By: Editorial Team | | Published: October 31, 2014 12:30 pm

Members of the west African community in New York have complained that their children were being bullied at school and businesses were losing money because of hysteria over Ebola. Panic has gripped many Americans since a Liberian citizen brought the killer virus into the country and died on October 8 of the disease in a Texas hospital. Two nurses who treated him became infected, though recovered, and a US doctor who returned to New York from treating Ebola patients in Guinea was diagnosed with the virus last week. Also Read - Ganesh Chaturthi 2020: 4 reasons an eco-friendly Ganesha is good for you

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In the face of public panic, some US states and the Pentagon have imposed quarantine rules for people returning from Ebola-afflicted countries, Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. The African Advisory Council (AAC), a community group in New York, yesterday called a news conference in the Bronx, home to one of the largest African communities in the United States, to demand better education to end the fear. ‘I need my community to be safe but also to be protected,’ said congressman for the Bronx, Jose Serrano, likening the fear of Ebola to the ignorance and panic that once confronted the emergence of AIDS. Last week, two Senegalese boys were called Ebola and assaulted at a school in the Bronx so badly they had to go to hospital, community leaders said. (Read: 10 reasons that make the Ebola virus deadly for humans) Also Read - Ebola death toll rises to 55 in DR Congo

The boys had three weeks previously moved to New York to join their father, a cab driver who has lived in the United States for nearly 20 years. Their father Ousmane Drame blamed the assault on ‘kids who know nothing,’ and said the incident stemmed from ignorance. ‘What happened to your children is unacceptable, as New Yorkers, as Americans, as human beings,’ said Serrano. (Read: Quarantine for Ebola what is it?)

US President Barack Obama and officials in New York have repeatedly sought to sow calm, hailing medical workers battling Ebola as heroic and stressing that Ebola cannot be contracted through casual contact. But community members say pervasive ignorance and scare mongering in sections of the media are putting their children at risk and jeopardising their livelihoods. (Read: What is the Ebola virus disease survival rate?)

‘We rebuke any stigmatisation that goes with Ebola any stigmatisation that’s before our business community, any stigmatisation that’s against our kids in the school,’ said Charles Cooper, Bronx president of the AAC. Moussa Kourouma, a taxi driver from Guinea, said children from the community face a ‘serious problem.’ Bullying and parents out at work made it easy for them to drop out of school and drift onto the streets, he said. ‘They cannot come back to where they were living because the neighbourhood over there doesn’t want to receive them,’ he said. (Read: 7 tips to prevent the spread of Ebola)

Here are some of the frequently asked questions (FAQs) with answers about the deadly Ebola disease –

How is the Ebola virus disease caused?

The Ebola virus disease (EVD) is a contagious disease caused by infection with one of the four strains of the Ebola virus. The Ebola virus belongs to the family of Filoviridae and the viral strains with potential for infection in humans are Zaire, Bundibugyo, Tai Forest and Sudan virus.

How does it spread?

The Ebola virus spreads through direct contact with the body fluids (semen, sweat, saliva and blood), infected objects (needles) and close skin contact with an infected person. It can also be transmitted through close contact with infected animals (handling the meat) and consumption of uncooked meat.

What are the symptoms?

The symptoms of Ebola virus usually appear between 2 to 21 days after being infected with the virus. The early symptoms include high fever (greater than 38.6 C), headache, drop in blood pressure and stomach pain. Whereas late signs of Ebola infections which indicate medical emergency are sore throat, jaundice, skin rashes, bleeding and loss of appetite. Read more about Ebola facts frequently asked questions (FAQ)

With inputs from PTI

Photo source: Getty images

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Published : October 31, 2014 12:30 pm

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