nola | Stanley Gaye, president of the Liberian Community Association of
Dallas-Fort Worth, said the 10,000-strong Liberian population in North
Texas is skeptical of the CDC's assurances because Ebola has ravaged
their country.
"We've been telling people to try to stay away from social
gatherings," Gaye said at a community meeting Tuesday evening. Large
get-togethers are a prominent part of Liberian culture.
"We need to know who it is so that they (family members) can all go
get tested," Gaye told The Associated Press. "If they are aware, they
should let us know."
Ebola symptoms can include fever, muscle pain, vomiting and bleeding,
and can appear as long as 21 days after exposure to the virus. The
disease is not contagious until symptoms begin, and it takes close
contact with bodily fluids to spread.
The association's vice president encouraged all who may have come in
contact with the virus to visit a doctor and she warned against alarm in
the community.
"We don't want to get a panic going," said vice president Roseline
Sayon. "We embrace those people who are coming forward. Don't let the
stigma keep you from getting tested."
Frieden said he didn't believe anyone on the same flights as the patient was at risk.
"Ebola doesn't spread before someone gets sick and he didn't get sick
until four days after he got off the airplane," Frieden said.
0 comments:
Post a Comment