DISEASE OUTBREAK RESPONSE

Got in Satan's halitosis with no escape, earnestly struggling for air. That is how it felt trying to dissect this medical mystery. 

A Wedding, a Pandemic, and the Lessons in Between

After a beautiful wedding ceremony, Mr. X began to feel an unexplained eeriness. His temperature rose gradually until he was boiling hot, and his bowels began to spew their contents with the rapidity of a tornado. His whole world suddenly changed. Instead of enjoying his honeymoon, he was confined to the four corners of a hospital room with IV medications connected to his veins.

 

The Unfolding Mystery

From then on, things went from bad to worse. The very next day, Mr. X had reddened eyes, and on auscultation, a diastolic murmur was heard. His blood pressure was dropping by the second, necessitating a dobutamine infusion for days. It was clear this was not a simple case of enteric fever. There were more questions than answers.

A diagnosis of viral hemorrhagic fever was being contemplated, with the Marburg virus as a leading concern, as it had recently been confirmed in Ghana. It was a Herculean task to get his sample to an accredited facility for proper analysis. Although, in this case, it turned out not to be Marburg, the experience revealed significant gaps in our healthcare system.

 

A Deeper Dive and a New Perspective

Somehow, there was a solution to it all. An echocardiogram revealed that he had viral myopericarditis. A deeper dive into his history revealed that he had been diagnosed with Covid-19 two months prior, and he was now suffering from post-Covid complications.

More than ever, Covid-19 has shown the grueling impact of a pandemic and the essence of having a robust disease outbreak response. Undeniably, its roar and subsequent backfired triumph led to better advances in public health.

 

Moving Forward

Our disease outbreak response should be nothing but top-notch. With the advent of Digital Disease Detection (DDD), sequencing of viral genomes, and rapid diagnostic tests, we should be singing a different tale.

On July 23, 2022, Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, PhD, declared the monkeypox outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). This was a step in the right direction, given that it took so long for SARS-CoV-2 to be declared a public health emergency. 

Knowledge is power, so be aware and stay safe!

LIVING A SOFT LIFE

Happy? We are mostly never taught how to be happy. Someway somehow we either figure it on our own or lash onto someone for it. Some say being happy is akin to living a soft life. When I first heard of the term soft life, I immediately thought of ease and comfort. But it is more than that. It is about living a balanced life that brings you happiness. More importantly, it is about maturity. 

First, living a soft life involves molding yourself into a person who is able to accept things for what they are and not stress over them. Like it is famously said, "this too shall pass." It is also a gentle reminder of the 4A's of stress management: avoid, alter, adapt or accept. 

Looking, praying and wanting can seem daunting if not sprinkled with the medicine called Laughter. Trying to laugh in the pain can break and melt problems away. Unwrap the tortuous whirlwind of thoughts and just laugh. Often times, over thinking and analysing can turn the most innocuous thing into a mountain. 

One way or another you have to cut out toxic people out of your life or manoeuvre your way around them so as to have as little interaction with them as possible. These are people who make feel unhappy, insecure and unwanted. Be choosy of those you put in your inner circle. Everybody isn't your friend. 

In a recent episode of the Kardashians, Kendall Jenner was struggling to cut a cucumber and we saw how quickly Kris Jenner called for their personal chef. Sometimes, you just have to make things easy for yourself. Ask for help, call for support, don't try shouldering all the burden. More often than not, you don't enjoy your life because you tend to do everything yourself. 

Make time to unwind and relax. A little party here and there, a little break here and there..., a little nap here and there. And travel whenever you get the chance. Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.” – Ibn Battut

Glam up and show out. Dressing up can be therapeutic. Feeling good is looking good.

Having a soft life is about having the "can't be bothered mindset". This is where you don't let things get to you. You don't let your emotions control you, and really really don't care what people think about you.

Cheers to living a soft life! 

Xx, 

Liz.