Ebola: Today's Plague?

Have any of you played the game Plaque. Inc. before? That crazy game where we control a microbe of sorts and try to obliterate the world with it. Fun game to play, isn’t it. Well, for all those who love this game, you’re in luck, you get to see a live demonstration of the game on actual humans. But believe me, it’s not all that fun when you’re trying to save yourself from the microbe.

This Ebola strike has, like many other of its sister viruses, has started in Africa. I wonder what Saharan magic they use to create these stuff. And this time, it’s worse than the previous. Infecting even one person in a country is enough to leave their people shivering in July. I suppose Thomas Duncan, the Liberian who injected Ebola into USA, must have been one of the most feared men in the country when he was still alive, though it wasn’t his fault at all.

Map of infected regions in West Africa. The dark red regions indicating more than 500 infected cases.

The worst part about the virus is its incubation period. It can infect you and you might not realise it for even 3 weeks and more than 70% of the infected die. The virus transmits through bodily fluids, so no eating your friend’s ice cream. Even with the assistance of the European nations, the western African nations have been unable to control the virus, and without a cure or a vaccine, can it get any worse.

A chart showing the growth of Ebola in the world in 2014

I am sure this news can get very frightening, and you have a good reason to do so. The place near the hospital where Duncan was treated has turned into a ghost town. Parking lots deserted, streets empty, and doctor appointments, cancelled. But all said and done, the virus is still infecting more people every day.

Now, we have a frightful situation, what do we do? We can stop the infection from spreading. I know, I know, almost every single post of Ebola on every news channel tells you the same thing. But that is because it is important. We can take a clear example of Nigeria and the other western African countries which have been affected. As of October 20, Nigeria has been declared Ebola free, with just 8 people diagnosed with the disease. The Nigerians responded quickly and effectively, eliminating the disease. I believe that such a response is necessary, and all countries, especially densely populated countries like India must take necessary precautions.

Basic precautions like avoiding the bodily fluids of the infected and using proper protective gear near the infected must be taken. Also, any case of a person showing relevant symptoms must be reported immediately. This is a must for everyone out there, because Ebola has the potential to wipe out entire nations if left untreated.

Hemanth Chenna

BITSMUN Society