People tweet about Ebola in Riverside County that never happened
There’s a lot of information going around on the Ebola virus and the enterovirus. We’re learning through social media that people are confusing the two illnesses and it’s leading to some panic. People have been tweeting about a case of Ebola in Riverside County that never happened.
Some of the tweets read,
“People wash your hands! Ebola is now in Riverside County.”
“Ebola virus has hit Riverside! Everyone wash your hands & sanitize. If you have any cold symptoms, please go get checked!”
“The person who had Ebola in Riverside is being treated in San Diego.”
The tweets go as far back as October 4th. Fact is Ebola is *not* in the county.
Based off a number of tweets, it appears people are confusing it with the case of enterovirus confirmed in a teen between 13 and 18-years-old from southwest Riverside County Friday. The patient was treated and released from a hospital in San Diego County, and is said to be recovering back at home.
Also, other tweets such as,
“Riverside hospital in Newport News treated patient for Ebola. So far tests negative.”
… revealed how the confusion on ebola may have started.
A hospital, Riverside Regional Medical Center, did run tests on a patient, and they did come back negative. The hospital is also on the other side of the country in Newport News, West Virginia.
Experts say the stress and panic from wrong information causes more damage to the community than the fearsome viruses themselves.
It serves as a reminder that people should not believe everything they read… especially on social media.
FACTS ABOUT EBOLA:
Ebola is passed by having direct contact with the bodily fluids of someone who has the disease. The outbreak is in west Africa, one of the reason health officials say the chances of an outbreak here in the U.S. are extremely low.
The virus is not airborne and does not transmit through coughing or sneezing.
The time it takes for the virus to develop in the body is anywhere from 2 to 21 days. Early symptoms include fever, headache, body aches, cough, stomach pain, vomiting, and diarrhea.
According to the CDC, a person infected can’t pass the virus to another person, unless they’re showing symptoms mentioned above.
FACTS ABOUT ENTEROVIRUS D-68:
In California alone, there are 14 confirmed cases of Enterovirus 68, including 1 in Riverside County. Younger children appear more at risk, especially those with breathing conditions such as asthma.
A California lab discovered the virus for the first time in 1962, when four children developed the respiratory illness.
The virus typically peaks during the months of July, August and September, causing symptoms of a common cold that include fever, coughing, sneezing, body aches and occasionally a rash.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention some cases can turn more serious with the virus causing wheezing neurological symptoms, including lesions on the brain and temporary paralysis.
In the case of a young New Jersey boy who recently died from the virus, health officials say he didn’t show any of the cold-like symptoms before his death.
While there is no treatment or vaccine for Enterovirus D-68, you can prevent it by washing hands, disinfecting surfaces, and covering your mouth when sneezing.
