capital, have been jittery since the Ebola Virus Disease claimed its
first victim in the state on Thursday.
Besides, over a hundred persons that had contact with the victim, Dr.
Sam Enemuo, had been identified and restricted.
Enemuo, who contracted the virus from a patient, died on Thursday.
PUNCH investigations revealed that despite the assurances by the state
government, residents have been consumed by fear of contracting the
virus.
Residents of Evo Road near the Good Heart Hospital -- the hospital
where Enemuo was said to have died -- have refused to pass through the
road, especially on foot.
A resident, Mr. Felix Dagogo, said, though the hospital management had
fumigated the hospital, he dared not pass through the area.
"I was told that one could contract the virus by passing through that
hospital where the doctor died. I now pass through King Perekume Road
or any other area," he said.
At the popular Mile 1 Market in Diobu, residents were found in groups
discussing the EVD outbreak in the state.
Some residents of Port Harcourt decided to stay indoors, while those
who went out for business avoided bodily contact to prevent getting
infected with Ebola,SUNDAY PUNCH learnt.
A resident of the state capital, who simply identified herself as
Favour, told one of our correspondents on Friday that she had refused
to leave her house for fear that she might contract the disease.
She said her decision to stay at home was reinforced when she
witnessed a woman paid for two seats in a taxi to avoid any bodily
contact with anyone on Thursday.
"People are afraid. I am not going to work today (Friday) because I am
afraid. Yesterday, a lady paid for two seats in a taxi. Again, at some
bus stops, passengers, who in the past would rush into any bus, are
now very careful.
"They (passengers) are very cautious now. Every passenger does not
want to get close to the next person or have bodily contact with any
person at the bus stop," Favour said.
A bus driver, who identified himself as Mark, said some of his
colleagues now allowed only one passenger in the front seat, as
opposed to two, before the Ebola outbreak.
Mark said while he was not afraid of the Ebola pandemic, he was being
watchful to avoid any "unnecessary" bodily contact.
He said, "I have not gone out today but the truth is that I am not
afraid of Ebola. Some of us (commercial bus drivers) are taking only
one passenger at the front seat because of the fear of Ebola."
Another bus driver, simply identified as Zerendu, said he was planning
to leave Port Harcourt for fear of contracting the deadly disease.
According to him, he will begin to ply the Abia-Akwa Ibom route to
make ends meet.
PUNCH.
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