Ebola-Free Patients Often Suffer Other Health Problems
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iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — West African Ebola survivors may suffer vision loss and long-term poor health in what one doctor calls “post-Ebola syndrome.”
Dr. Margaret Nanyonga, who treated Ebola patients in Kenema, Sierra Leone, told a World Health Organization conference that half of those cured of the virus reported declining health resulting in body aches, chest pain, headaches and fatigue that are consistent with symptoms experienced by survivors in previous outbreaks.
Nanyonga also said that a number of Ebola survivors also experienced either clouded vision or progressive vision loss, including two of her patients who went blind.
Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, admitted that while he’s not familiar with post-Ebola syndrome, he’s not surprised that the health of West African Ebola survivors deteriorates after recovery.
“You can imagine when people recover from Ebola there will be a period of time when they are fatigued, particularly if they have led a rough existence of poverty and poor nutrition,” Schaffner said.
Support for survivors is gradually emerging, including a post-Ebola clinic in Kenema to deal with survivors’ psychological and social needs, according to WHO. Nanyonga said she had developed an assessment tool to track common and disabling symptoms.
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