People die in the name of fear, 5 Biggest Lies About Ebola

“The rumours themselves can actually cause a lot of damage.” 

This statement was made by the Lagos state Commissioner for Health, Jide Idris concerning the numerous  rumours flying about the Ebola epidemic in Nigeria. Many of these rumours have been debunked as Nigerians have been running from pillar to post using all sorts of concoctions and engaging in different practises to ward off Ebola. Here a few of the rumours currently being spread:

1) Ebola can be cured or prevented by drinking salt and water mixture and also bathing with it

Not too long ago, a message telling people to add salt to warm water and then drink it and bathe with it to prevent the Ebola virus went viral. Some variations of the message even went as far as saying that people should do this before 7 am in the morning. This claim has been condemned as the Ministry of Health has debunked the practice. Salt water cannot stop Ebola and it even does more harm than good. Recently, Vanguard reported that two people were feared dead while 20 other people were hospitalized after they consumed large quantities of salt to prevent them from contracting the Ebola virus.

2) Eating Bitter Kola Can Cure/Prevent Ebola

Just before the salt and water mixture rumour was the bitter kola rumour. Reports started flying all around that all you need to do to stop Ebola is to chew bitter Kola. The Minister of Health has come out to disprove this claim.  Here his words on the issue:

“Information that is being circulated especially through the social media and the rest of the internet tend to suggest that because right now, there is no known vaccine for Ebola Virus Disease and there is no known specific drug as effective against EVD. If we don’t streamline a lot of these information, the unwary will become so vulnerable. People have said that they know that a fruit is sufficient to cure EVD.

“As I speak to you now, there is no proof yet of any such fruit. I repeat, there is no proof yet of any fruit.

“One that has been mentioned is that just keep chewing bitter kola and you will be alright. As the Minister of Health of the Federal Republic of Nigeria I say that right now, there is no scientific yet to suggest that if you just eat bitter kola you will get to prevent the disease or where you have it, it will help to cure it.

“However, we are aware that in 1999, Prof. Maurice Iwu worked along with an administration in United States of America and conducted research which at the level of the laboratory is what we call in-vitro research which means it is still in the test tube as it were and it is not in any living body which we call in-vitro.

“This shows that some extract they had obtained from the bitter kola which is common in West Africa and in Nigeria and which we use for so many purposes in Nigeria including social reasons tend to have some activities against the virus. But that research was not concluded and therefore as at today, there is no evidence to link that as a cure or preventive measure against Ebola Virus Disease.”

3) Ebola is now in the air, even breathing can make you catch the deadly virus

A lot of Nigerians are of the opinion that Ebola is now airborne. This is entirely false. Ebola is a virus and viruses are not airborne. You have to come in close contact with an infected person to get the disease.

4) Ebola can be contracted by merely touching another person

Ebola virus can only spread when the bodily fluids of an infected person comes into close contact with the mucous membranes of a person that has not been infected. Hence, it is safe to say that the Ebola virus is found in fluids like blood, sweat or urine and it has to come in contact with your eyes, mouth, nostrils, ears, genital area or an open wound in order to infect you. Casual contact cannot lead to an outbreak and this can be noticed in the infection being reported among health care workers or family members caring for a sick relative. That is why people have been advised to wash their hands regularly to prevent the virus entering into your system.

5) Ebola is a new sickness that is killing numerous Nigerians day by day

Contrary to popular belief, even though this is the largest outbreak of Ebola in history, Ebola did not just start this year. The virus was first diagnosed in humans in 1976 in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It infected about 318 people and had an 88 percent fatality rate. After that, various strains of the disease have been noticed around the African continent, infecting as many as 425 people in 2000 and then 57 people in 2012, according to the World Health Organization.

In respect to the disease in Nigeria, the Minister of Health has revealed that only two people have been confirmed dead from the virus in Nigeria while 10 others infected are alive and undergoing treatment.