2014 is almost over, and like other end-of-year or holiday seasons, many immigrants will be traveling home to spend time with extended families and loved ones. Christmas season for many of us, represents a great celebration of meeting up with friends and family and taking a break from the daily grind of our adopted lives. It is evident that we are willing to invest into our holidays given the amount of money we spend on airline tickets alone!
Unfortunately for many African immigrants, 2014 will be a holiday season filled with fear, skepticism and forced new traditions. As the Ebola epidemic continues to affect Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, many of these country nationals will be forced to stay away to avoid being exposed to the virus and stigma.
News outlets in the US have not been as focused on the Ebola epidemic in the last few weeks, but as we approach the holiday season, many Africans are faced with the reality of determining the risk of traveling home. For some they have no choice; their tickets have been canceled, or their family members are battling the virus. For others whose countries might not have any recorded cases, they still have to determine their own risk. I’ve heard talk from people who are not from the immediately affected areas but have nonetheless decided to postpone plans to travel home. For many West Africans the risk is not solely potential exposure to the virus, but the consequences of stigmatization upon their return.
This particular epidemic is evidence of our current global status. It does not take very much time to move people, goods and even disease around the world. It also does not take very much to move fear between countries.
I recently traveled to Ghana, which has no reported cases. Shortly after return, the US reported its first Ebola case and death and all of a sudden my “contacts” became alarmed that I might have infected them. Though my world continued normally I wondered how people were really feeling behind their questions of “where did you go, again?” “Oh Ghana…is that in West Africa?” I felt some of my students were skipping my fitness class to avoid further “exposure” and though most of them came back I completely understood the demoralizing effect of being isolated.
Here’s a quick summary about the Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever or Ebola Virus Disease (EVD). It is a virus transmitted through blood or bodily fluids (saliva, sweat, urine, vomit, breast milk, semen and feces) of an infected person. It can also be transmitted through infected meat of fruit bats, apes and monkeys. It is only contagious when a person has symptoms which include fever, severe headache, muscle pain, weakness, fatigue, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain and unexplained bleeding. It takes from 2 to 21 days for an infected person to show symptoms. In order for transmission to occur, there has to be direct contact through broken skin or mucous membranes (eyes, nose or mouth). It is not known to be transmitted through air. Health workers and care takers of infected patients are particularly at risk and must be properly protected to ensure they do not get exposed to the virus. Unlike other viruses, upon death of the host/infected person, the virus is still transmissible; which means that those who die as a result of EVD must be handled carefully. People infected with EVD can recover with proper management which includes rehydration and intravenous fluids (IV). Patients must also be treated for other infection which can occur as a result of a compromised immune system and their oxygen levels and blood pressure must be maintained. Patients must be kept in isolation to reduce the risk of transmission to others. Currently, an estimated 5000 infected patients have died, with about 14068 reported cases and 8688 of those confirmed. (Source: CDC.gov)
Indeed the grim numbers are a numerical representation of the nightmare that many are currently enduring in the affected areas. The global response to Ebola has ranged from shock and fear to empathy and compassion. Some countries have banned flights from the affected countries, others the affected region. Those returning from the affected areas are often quarantined for 21 days and monitored for symptoms. There have been reports of speaking events being canceled and of offers from schools being rescinded. West Africa has become synonymous with fear and for many nationals; it is just easier not to go home.
So this holiday season I implore you to reach out to your fellow Africans. Have an open invitation for dinners and other celebrations for those who could not go home this year. Continue to support our motherland by donating to the cause. We don’t have to wait for someone else to save our nations and our continent. Have a great holiday season!
Grace Neequaye MPH CHES
