Senga Omeonga comes from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the country that had the first recognized outbreak of Ebola in 1976 and where the virus was discovered. Omeonga, a doctor, has also received training Ebola in DRC, but saw its first case this summer in Monrovia, Liberia's capital, where he has lived for the past 3 years.
And Omeonga, who worked at the hospital, not a specialized treatment center contracted Ebola Catholic St. Joseph of the disease itself. It was one of a handful of people in the world to receive zmapp, an experimental antibody cocktail.
The family of Omeonga lives in Canada, and when he fell ill, he has no roommates. On 24 September, he spoke with Science experience, including his suspicions about how he was infected, and the devastating epidemic now Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone. The following is a revised version of that conversation and subsequent e-mails that clarified some details
Q:.? Why do you think that so many health care workers have been infected
has: There's a lot we need to learn. From my own experience, it is really the lack of protective equipment in our hospitals in Liberia. At this point, we begin to have more. At first there was not enough to protect us as health workers.
There were also problems with the patients we receive. Many of them were lying when they come to the hospital. They do not even tell you that they are having fever. They said they fell or were on a motorcycle, or somebody pushed them, or they went to work and distributed. Sometimes you put a patient on a table to evaluate and find different symptoms
Q:.? Do you have personal protective equipment (PPE)
A: I got protective equipment, PPE light we use in the outpatient department. We had a surgical gown, gloves and a face mask. No boots. I had all short gloves and they were some days not really fitting
Q:.? How are you do you think that become infected
A: I had to deal with a patient who was initially negative and we were her treatment, and there was no improvement. They requested a second test and it came back positive after 10 days. I have been exposed to the patient daily. PPE with light. I do not think I have enough protection in hospital. Somehow I'm contaminated by touching
Q:.? Have you had fluid you press
A: It is difficult to say. He was a patient he had diarrhea and vomiting wet. Probably somewhere, I touched it. When he was declared negative, I am sitting in his room to talk to him and be near him. I do not really remember direct contact. Maybe these days when it was almost abandoned. Everyone was afraid to touch him. He was shouting. I removed his nasogastric tube and he was fighting. I had my face shield and mask.
Maybe it was in the beginning when I was sitting in his room. Sometimes I had just a T-shirt. I do not know. There are many questions. Every day, I always think, "When I am contaminated"
Q: Why did you single the patient
A: I saw three patients were positive. Unfortunately, they are all dead. After seeing the first two, I was quarantined, and I went in 21 days and was not infected
. Q:? When were you diagnosed as positive for the Ebola virus
has: I began to feel the symptoms on the second of August, Saturday . high fever, vomiting, and weakness I do not have diarrhea It continued for 5 days before collecting the sample At that time, the country had one of Ebola treatment unit.. [ETU] [at the ELWA 2 hospital] they were really overwhelmed and it was really difficult to find space even for me as a physician it was on Friday that they collected the sample...; Saturday, I learned I was positive and was taken to ETU at ELWA 2.
Q: You were home sick for the week?
A: Yes. The house is located just behind the hospital. It was a plus for me, because I had access to drugs, and nurses and people from the pharmacy helped. I had oral rehydration salts and medicines to stop vomiting. By day, the weakness was deteriorating. In the first 3 days I am able to manage, but after that, I need help
Q:.? Have you been in denial
A: Three days before my symptoms started, they came to pick up the patient to the hospital and take him to ETU. Everyone who has picked up, everyone was worried. We all lived in the compound. They were watching us for 21 days. We all got our body temperatures. I have not checked my temperature because I was so scared. When I started to have fever, I knew I was infected
Q:.? Other people you work with infected by a patient even Were
A: Yes, the person who probably infected us all was the director of the hospital, Brother Patrick Nshamdze, who sadly passed away on August 2 In total, two brothers, a Spanish priest, sister, two nurses, X-ray technology, a lab technician, and a social worker died. Two other doctors, two sisters, and an orthopedic technology survived. They closed the hospital after the outbreak
Q:.? Did you think you were going to die
A: Yes. The only thing that was going to happen to my death. I talked with my wife and kids and we talked and talked and talked. They were very worried. They prayed for me, encouraging me. It was a great support. I prayed me. I was positive thoughts and began to say even if it was 10% chance for recovery I want to be among the 10%
Q :. You received zmapp. Do you think it made a difference
A: I think it helped, but I can not say for sure. When I went to the Ebola treatment center, I was quite a bit stable. I was walking. I'm not like the other patients who were very sick. I vomit or have diarrhea. My own antibodies plus zmapp helped me a speedy recovery. I have had three doses and unfortunately I had a severe reaction to the drug on the third dose. I think it was a medical error: I do not get the allergy medication before they should give minimize side effects
Q:.? How come you been selected to receive zmapp
A: I do not really know. I was the luckiest. At that time, there were three doctors who have been infected. And I think they have given to the Liberian government zmapp for physicians. A doctor came into my room and said that we zmapp for three doctors. Here's how I happened to get
Q:.? Do you feel healthy now
A: I feel very good. I still have symptoms, like my joints having a little pain every day. And weakness is disappearing. I'm about 75%. I feel much better. I'll go back to work when I am fully recovered
Q :. There is a possibility that people who have had the disease immunity. What do you think
A:. I think I'm protected now for the strain I had, but we still need to protect ourselves
Q: do you work in an ETU
a: I do not mean I do not want to work in an ETU. But I really like the EPP. It is very uncomfortable and I do not think I can handle it. I am not afraid. I have my immunity, but I continue to take precautions
Q:.? What do you think of the idea of having people who have recovered from Ebola aid to patient care
A: Today, we talked to the doctor responsible for ELWA 2, about this idea because there is an acute shortage of staff. It need not be health workers. non-health workers can be trained, and those who recovered can be very useful as assistants patients. They can give food and water and help the patient. The idea was well received, but he needed to discuss with the Ministry of Health and see if it is willing to sponsor such a program and hire these people
Q:.? What will happen now in Liberia
A: right now, the situation Monrovia, contact tracing, simply forget. They are already lost. There are a lot of contacts in the community, we do not even know. Patients go to treatment centers and because there is a shortage of beds, they return to the community and continue to infect people. We are overwhelmed. No one makes contact tracing.
When they came to me and did tests, nobody asked my contacts. I am a doctor. I have had many patients that I treated. There are too many cases and they do not know the contacts. They are there in the community goes on the market and schools and everything.
We only hope with the help of the international community, the US government and other governments and NGOs [nongovernmental organizations], it will be controlled. If we rely on the Liberian government, the situation is getting worse and it will be disastrous. There are not enough human and financial resources.
For a story on the risk of infection with Ebola virus for health workers here.
* Ebola files: Given the current Ebola epidemic, unprecedented in terms of the number of people killed and the rapid geographic spread, science and science Translational Medicine made a collection of research articles and news on the viral disease available for researchers and the general public.
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