Providenciales, TCI, July 4, 2016 – The Health Advocacy Unit is calling for the public to be informed and not to be panicked about the Zika Virus. In an ongoing effort to remind the public about the do’s and don’ts when it comes to the mosquito borne virus which is now categorized as a global health problem, Director Aldora Robinson said we should wear Deet all day, every day; Deet is found in mosquito repellant. It’s the three ‘L’s when it comes to how to dress – light-coloured, long and loose fitting.
Remove all standing water from around your home or business and limit outdoor activities at dawn and dusk… The Turks and Caicos Ministry of Health still informs that the country is Zika Free, but the Unit explains in the public notice that Zika has no vaccine and in the first week of infection, that is when a mosquito can bite and then spread Zika.
Zika is also spread from a mother to fetus, potentially through a blood transfusion and from a man in sexual intercourse. Outside of the fact that Zika can cause microcephaly in babies and nervous system problems in others, which are both extremely serious – it is not so serious that hospitalization would be required. In 2-7 days the symptoms run their course, usually, and those symptoms include skin rash, conjunctivitis or pink eye, muscle or joint pain and a mild fever.
Significantly and very concerning is the fact that most people, as many as 80% of people who contract Zika do not even know they have it, experiencing no symptoms according to experts.
