Nigerians on different social media platforms on
Saturday asked President Barack Obama to give a
vaccine, ZMapp, being developed in the United
States to treat a Nigerian nurse, Justina Ejelonu,
reportedly infected with Ebola.
On such websites as Facebook and Twitter, the
petitioners begged Obama to release the vaccine
to Ejelonu and other Africans suffering from the
virus. The petitions were made on the White
House website.
Ejelonu, who is one of those that were infected
with the Ebola virus after treating the Liberian
victim, Patrick Sawyer, has said she did not have
direct contact with Sawyer’s body fluids.
The deadly virus, which leads to death in humans
within days from infection, is transmitted through
sweat, urine, blood, and other fluids from the
body.
Ejelonu recounted her encounter with Sawyer in a
report on a website, www.southeastnigeria.com.
According to the website, she said she had
checked his vitals and helped him with food
because he was too weak, and that the mode of
transmission could be from touching the same
surfaces as the Liberian.
She said, “I never contacted his fluids. I checked
his vitals, helped him with his food (he was too
weak). I basically touched where his hands
touched and that’s the only contact — not directly
with his fluids.
“At a stage, he yanked off his infusion and we had
blood everywhere on his bed. But the ward maids
took care of that and changed his linens with
great precaution. Every patient is treated as high-
risk. If it were air borne, by now wahala for dey
(there would have been trouble). I still thank
God.”
Ejelonu added that the workers’ uniforms and
Sawyer’s bedding were burnt afterwards, saying
the staff were under surveillance and off-duty till
August 11.
She said, “Our samples have long been taken by
the World Health Organisation and so far, we
have been fine. Kudos to my hospital
management because we work professionally
with every patient considered as high-risk —
that’s the training.”
The health worker noted that if it were a public
hospital, the outcome might have been different,
adding that she was however grateful to the
Lagos State Government and the Federal
Government for their support