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By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer
ALEXANDRIA – As news of additional cases of the Ebola virus continue to surface, Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief officials continue to monitor the situation and are urging believers to rise up and live appropriately to show Christ’s love.
“In these days of insecurity and hardship we encourage you to look to Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith,” said Dr. Charles Rogers, state medical coordinator for Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief. “It is in Him that we will find comfort. We do not understand disease and pestilence that results in massive human loss but we can take comfort in God’s word that tells us in Philippians 1:6, ‘I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.’”
As of Oct. 14, the World Health Organization reported total cases of Ebola at nearly 9,000, with about half of those resulting in death.
The U.S. saw its first Ebola death on Oct. 8, when Thomas Eric Duncan died at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas. He contracted the virus while in his home in Liberia a few days before flying to the U.S. and developing signs of Ebola. A nurse who treated Duncan tested positive for the virus. After reporting a low-grade fever and undergoing a test for the virus on Oct. 10, Nina Pham remained in isolation at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital. She is the first known person to contract the disease in the United States.
Pham received a plasma transfusion from Kent Brantly, a Texas doctor who had Ebola but survived. Brantly contracted the disease while treating Ebola patients in Liberia for Samaritan’s Purse.
Then on Oct. 15, news reports surfaced that Amber Vinson, a second nurse who was part of a team that cared for Duncan, tested positive for Ebola.
A week earlier, Brantly gave a blood transfusion to US journalist Ashoka Mukpo, who contracted the virus while in Liberia. He was receiving treatment at an Omaha, Neb., hospital and said he was “on the road to good health”, according to his Twitter account.
In response, a new level of screening has begun at five airports in the U.S. — New York’s JFK International and Newark airports, Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, Washington-Dulles Airport and Atlanta’s airport.
Currently, there is no vaccine to treat the disease. A new highly experimental drug is being used to attempt to treat Ebola, though no major success has been seen yet.
According to the CDC, symptoms of Ebola include fever greater than 101.5 degrees, severe headaches, muscle pain, weakness, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain and unexplained hemorrhage. Symptoms can appear between 2 and 21 days after exposure, though the average is 8 to 10 days. Recovery depends on good supportive clinical care and the patient’s immune response, but even with this, the death rate varies from 50 to 90 percent.
Rogers said the first way to help is pray for individuals, families, medical teams and public leaders involved in the disease process. Anyone feeling stressed or anxious can call a disaster relief chaplain.
Other ways include extra caution while handling bodily fluids, using hand washing precautions with soap and water; staying informed by checking the disaster relief, CDC or World Health Organization website; checking with the WHO website for travel advisories; and seeing a healthcare worker immediately if developing Ebola symptoms and a history of travel into the West Africa region or exposure to someone who has traveled to West Africa within the past 30 days.
Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief officials continue monitoring the situation and provide updates to Louisiana Baptists and others through social media outlets such as Facebook and the disaster relief website, louisianabaptists.org/ebola. Disaster relief officials also are in communication with the Baptist Nursing Fellowship to ensure the most accurate and current publication of information.
Rogers and state Disaster Relief Coordinator Gibbie McMillian are in frequent communication as well, as they work to coordinate any information transfer and possible mobilization of needed disaster relief units. Earlier this month, state Disaster Relief Chaplain coordinator James Carson began alerting chaplains in the state of a probable need for counseling services in Louisiana. On Oct. 6 they reviewed Federal Emergency Management Agency protocol for disaster counseling response via a national webinar sponsored by FEMA and Department of Homeland Security.
To find the nearest health unit, visit new.dhh.louisiana.gov/index.cfm/page/394. Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief chaplains and medical information can be found by calling 318.448.3402.
Rogers reminds all Louisiana Baptists to lift the disaster relief workers and the situation up in prayer.
“So, we wait, watch and above all else, we pray that God’s mercy will let this just be another exercise in preparedness rather than having to deploy,” Rogers said.
DR TEAMS RESPOND TO NORTH LOUISIANA STORM DAMAGE
In addition to the Ebola situation, Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief teams, a total of 51 volunteers, spent last week cleaning up from an EF 2 tornado that caused significant damage to parts of Monroe.
The Baptist Collegiate Ministry building at the University of Louisiana-Monroe received minimal damage and the Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home & Family Ministries lost 15 to 30 pecan trees but sustained no damaged buildings or injuries.
Disaster relief crews met at Cedar Crest Baptist Church in West Monroe on Oct. 14 before heading out to sites.
Updates on the work in Monroe and the Ebola response can be found on the Baptist Message Facebook page, baptistmessage.com and louisianabaptists.org.