As the Ebola virus spreads globally and anxiety among people rises, security measures have been beefed up at Kochi International Airport to identify passengers arriving with symptoms and to prevent the spread of the disease. A round-the-clock observation mechanism is being organised at the airport. The security system has been augmented in Kochi in light of the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) declaration of the Ebola spread as a Global Health Emergency.
It has been decided to place passengers, either direct or otherwise, arriving from Congo, Uganda and South Sudan — the African countries where the virus spread has been reported — under special observation. In addition, thermal screening and visual inspections will be conducted to closely monitor passengers arriving at international terminals.
Employees and passengers have been strictly instructed to follow personal safety protocols, including wearing three-layer masks and washing hands using soap or sanitiser. Sophisticated treatment centres have been facilitated in Ernakulam district to treat passengers carrying symptoms.
The Health Department informed that isolation wards have been set up at Ernakulam General Hospital, Kalamassery Government Medical College and Aluva District Hospital. Cochin International Airport officials held an emergency meeting to discuss concerns regarding the ‘Bundibugyo’ strain, considered the most dangerous among the five species of Ebola.
So far, no vaccine or medicine has been invented to treat this virus. This increases the significance of anti-Ebola preparedness. If a patient contracts this disease, it may take 2 to 21 days for symptoms to appear. Severe fever, throat pain, acute headache and muscular pain are among the initial symptoms. The death rate for Ebola patients is between 30 and 50 per cent, highlighting the seriousness of the disease.
