‘Nipah’ existing situation and people
Sri Lankans have also paid special attention to the ‘Nipah’ virus which is spreading in several countries including the Indian state of Kerala. Sri Lankans also have a sense of fear about the ‘Nipah’ virus due to their experiences with the Coronavirus. The economic instability of the country can be identified as a serious problem facing Sri Lankans, and the people ask that if another virus enters the country at this difficult time, the country will become more unstable. It can be guaranteed that it will happen permanently and if the ‘Nipah’ virus enters the country unexpectedly, it will cause people to die before the virus even gets infected. Some say that barriers to access to food or health care can lead to death, while others point out that even the news that the virus has entered the country can cause people to die from shock.
People point out that the unforeseen circumstances and the economic crisis in the country have not yet been resolved. All these statements reveal the difficulty of living. The economic disaster caused by the coronavirus epidemic and political instability led to the creation of a powerful social crisis. This situation has put the Sri Lankan society in a state of fear even for another virus or any alarming information.
Do not have unnecessary fear – say the health departments.
However, an examination of the ‘Nipah’ situation makes it clear that it cannot be assumed that it will come to Sri Lanka. The Medical Research Institute said that since no ‘Nipah’ infected person has been reported from Sri Lanka, it is unnecessary to create unnecessary fear about it. However, the Borella Medical Research Institute stated that they are going to start the investigations by closely monitoring this and have taken steps to bring related medical and testing equipment.
Dr Saranga Sumathipala, an expert on viruses, said that there is no need to disrupt daily activities by creating unnecessary fear of ‘Nipah’.
Cases have been reported only from the state of Kerala in India. Infected people have not been found in any other state of India. Therefore, visiting India is not a risky situation. It is also seen that they are doing things like wearing face masks because of fear of the ‘Nipah’ virus. It is not important to wear a face mask just to be protected by ‘Nipah’. Because there is no Nipah in Sri Lanka yet. However, he also mentioned that it is good to wear a face mask to protect not only from ‘Nipah’, but also from any virus.
It is good to do this even if there is no ‘Nipah’
In the meantime, the doctor also points out that it is important to practice habits from now on to use hygienic methods when eating things like fruits. It is very important not to use food such as fruit that is suspected to have been eaten by animals such as bats, and it is very important to wash and eat good quality fruit. Although the disease can spread from animals such as pigs, the disease does not yet exist in Sri Lanka, so the medical recommendation is that eating such meat is not a matter of risk.
‘Nipah’ history and present
Kerala state health authorities have announced that two people who were infected with the ‘Neepa’ virus have died so far. Six infected people are currently being treated, and around 1,400 people they came in contact with have been quarantined. Indian reports indicate that till now no cases of infection have been reported from any other area except Kolikode district of Kerala state.
‘Nipah’ was first reported in 1998. It is from Malaysia. In 1998, about 300 infected people were identified from Malaysia, and about 100 people infected with Nipah died, according to the reports of the American Center for Epidemiological Control. According to the country’s reports, about one million pigs had to be killed at that time due to the spread of the disease in Malaysia being identified as pigs. It was only after 1998 that a ‘Nipah’ fear emerged from India.
What is the scientific opinion?
Scientific research has revealed that this disease is transmitted from animals to humans. In particular, bats have been identified as the main factor that spreads the disease, and it has been scientifically discovered that animals such as pigs can also spread the disease. The virus can also be transmitted to humans by touching and ingesting the saliva and faeces of infected animals. Asian countries including Sri Lanka and India as well as countries including Australia and Madagascar can be considered as the countries where bats live in abundance. Accordingly, if there is a virus spread, such countries can become risk zones.
What are the symptoms and treatment?
What are the symptoms of people infected with the virus? It is very important to be informed in this regard. In general, as in all diseases, Nipah patients may also have a high fever. Specialist Dr Saranga Sumathipala points out that symptoms such as headache, cough, throat discomfort, breathing difficulty and vomiting mainly occur after the onset of fever. Symptoms appear within twenty-one days of exposure to the virus. Meanwhile, some infected people do not show symptoms
A thing to be. This is a rather dangerous situation as it deprives the chance of early detection of a real infection. He also points out that ‘Nipah’ infected people can even develop brain inflammation in some cases. Antibody tests should be done to specifically identify the infected. Also, Dr Saranga Sumathipala, a specialist, said that the death rate of those infected with ‘Nipah’ is high, ranging from 40 to 75.
The absence of a special drug for people infected with the Nipah virus is a major challenge globally. Therefore, the only thing that can be done now is to resort to a process of providing treatment to the infected according to the symptoms.
