According to a recent report from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the deadly Diphteria infection is rapidly spreading across different states in Nigeria.
As of the time of writing this blog, the NCDC has recorded 798 cases of Diptheria in eight states across 33 Local Government Areas in the country.
Also, about 80 lives have been claimed by Diphteria in the past week, and the NCDC places the infection’s case-fatality ratio at 10 per cent.
Diphtheria is a contagious infection that can trigger difficulty in breathing, heart problems and other health complications which may be fatal.
It spreads mainly through direct contact with infected persons, airborne droplets from coughing or sneezing, and contact with contaminated clothing and objects.
Common Symptoms of Diphteria Infection include:
Difficulty Swallowing
Sore throat (children may cry when they try to swallow, or they may not want to eat)
Fever (body feels warm)
Hoarseness of voice
Difficulty breathing
Coughing or sneezing
Swelling of neck
Thick, grey coating formed in the nose, throat and tongue
3 Possible Complications from Diphteria Infection:
Breathing Problems
Toxins produced by the Diphteria bacteria may damage the tissues in the immediate area of infection, usually the throat and nose. Tough, gray membrane made up of dead cells, bacteria and other substances may grow around the infected area, making breathing extremely difficult for the patient.
Heart Damage
There are high chances of Diphteria bacteria travelling through a carriers bloodstream to other organs of the body. It can attack and damage the heart muscle resulting in Myocarditis – an inflammation of the heart muscle. Myocarditis may result in heart failure or death.
Nerve Damage
Thirdly, different nerves of the body might be adversely impacted by Diphteria infection. Patients might experience difficulty swallowing, where the infections damages the throat nerves. Other typical areas include legs and arms and breathing muscles.
Patients will suffer muscle weakness in arms and legs and might require external assistance to breathe if the infection paralyses their breathing muscles.
How to Protect Yourself from Contracting Diphteria
1. Improve Personal Hygiene
Here’s a checklist of practical personal hygiene measures you can adopt to drastically reduce the possibility of contracting Diphteria :
- cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
- throw tissues in the bin after you use them.
- wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol based hand cleaners and Air purifiers are also effective
- wash your hands before preparing food
- avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth, as germs are spread this way
- avoid close contact with people who have colds.
- wash your child’s toys frequently to remove traces of any micro-organism
- if you have a cold, stay home from work or school and limit contact with other people to keep from infecting them
- if your child develops a cold, keep them home for the first few days to stop them from infecting others
2. Keep Bacteria Out of your Space with Air purifiers
Air purifies are very effective at combating the spread of bacterial and viral compounds within indoor spaces, using a filtration process.
An air purifier combines internal filter and fan mechanism to pull unwanted particles and microbes in a specific room and then circulates purified air back into the room. This filtration process repeats several times an hour, continually improving the quality of the indoor air.
For instance, Unimech Air purifiers can effectively destroy 99.9 percent of bacteria, pollutants and particulate matter locked in the air and on surfaces. Clean Air purifier uses a powerful and harm-free UV ray technology to instantly kill or inactivate micro-organisms in any room.
When you install our air purifier in your home, office space, gyms or other indoor facilities, you get to breathe clean and disease free air and need not worry about contracting the dreaded Diphteria infection or any other type of airborne diseases.
Rands is an official and exclusive distributor of Unimech Healthcare Air Purifiers in Nigeria. Contact us on 08133732672 or email [email protected] to place an order or sign up as a distributor.
3. Keep your Surroundings Clean
People who live in unhygienic environments are at higher risks of contracting Diphteria. Ensure you keep your space clean and sanitized.