Our nation continues the battle to get rid of Ebola virus brought into the country by the late American-Liberian Patrick Sawyer.
We now bring to you the amazing survival story of Dr. Ada Igonoh of the First Consultants Hospital.
She was one of the doctors who got infected by the virus by the primary case. The medical worker, however, miraculously escaped death and has told her amazing story to Bellanaija.
She shares her experience, her fears, faith and dedication.
***
On the night of Sunday, July 20, 2014, Patrick Sawyer was wheeled into the Emergency Room at First Consultants Medical Centre, Obalende, Lagos, with complaints of fever and body weakness.
The male doctor on call admitted him as a case of malaria and took a full history. Knowing that Mr Sawyer had recently arrived from Liberia, the doctor asked if he had been in contact with an Ebola patient in the last couple of weeks, and Mr Sawyer denied any such contact.
Dr Ada Igonom
She was one of the doctors who got infected by the virus by the primary case. The medical worker, however, miraculously escaped death and has told her amazing story to Bellanaija.
She shares her experience, her fears, faith and dedication.
***
On the night of Sunday, July 20, 2014, Patrick Sawyer was wheeled into the Emergency Room at First Consultants Medical Centre, Obalende, Lagos, with complaints of fever and body weakness.
The male doctor on call admitted him as a case of malaria and took a full history. Knowing that Mr Sawyer had recently arrived from Liberia, the doctor asked if he had been in contact with an Ebola patient in the last couple of weeks, and Mr Sawyer denied any such contact.
He also denied attending any funeral ceremony recently. Blood samples were taken for full blood count, malaria parasites, liver function test and other baseline investigations. He was admitted into a private room and started on antimalarial drugs and analgesics. That night, the full blood count result came back as normal and not indicative of infection.
However, on the following day his condition worsened. He barely ate any of his meals. His liver function test result showed his liver enzymes were markedly elevated. We then took samples for HIV and hepatitis screening.
At about 5.00pm he requested to see a doctor.
“I was the doctor on call that night so I went in to see him. He was lying in bed with his intravenous (I.V.) fluid bag removed from its metal stand and placed beside him. He complained that he had stooled about five times that evening and that he wanted to use the bathroom again. I picked up the I.V. bag from his bed and hung it back on the stand. I told him I would inform a nurse to come and disconnect the I.V. so he could conveniently go to the bathroom. I walked out of his room and went straight to the nurses’ station where I told the nurse on duty to disconnect his I.V. I then informed my Consultant, Dr. Ameyo Adadevoh about the patient’s condition and she asked that he be placed on some medications,” Ebola survivor narrated.
The following day, the results for HIV and hepatitis screening came out negative.
“As we were preparing for the early morning ward rounds, I was approached by an ECOWAS official who informed me that Patrick Sawyer had to catch an 11 o’clock flight to Calabar for a retreat that morning. He wanted to know if it would be possible. I told him it wasn’t, as he was acutely ill. Dr. Adadevoh also told him the patient could certainly not leave the hospital in his condition. She then instructed me to write very boldly on his chart that on no account should Patrick Sawyer be allowed out of the hospital premises without the permission of Dr. Ohiaeri, our Chief Medical Consultant. All nurses and doctors were duly informed.”
During early morning ward round with Dr. Adadevoh the medics concluded that this was not malaria and that the patient needed to be screened for Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).
She immediately started calling laboratories to find out where the test could be carried out. She was eventually referred to Professor Omilabu of the LUTH Virology Reference Lab in Idi-Araba whom she called immediately.
Prof. Omilabu told her to send blood and urine samples to LUTH straight away. She tried to reach the Lagos State Commissioner for Health but was unable to contact him at the time. She also put calls across to officials of the Federal Ministry of Health and National Centre for Disease Control.
Dr. Adadevoh at this time was in a pensive mood. Patrick Sawyer was now a suspected case of Ebola, perhaps the first in the country. He was quarantined, and strict barrier nursing was applied with all the precautionary measures we could muster. Dr. Adadevoh went online, downloaded information on Ebola and printed copies which were distributed to the nurses, doctors and ward maids. Blood and urine samples were sent to LUTH that morning. Protective gear, gloves, shoe covers and facemasks were provided for the staff. A wooden barricade was placed at the entrance of the door to keep visitors and unauthorized personnel away from the patient.
Despite the medications prescribed earlier, the vomiting and diarrhea persisted. The fever escalated from 38c to 40c.
On the morning of Wednesday 23rd July, the tests carried out in LUTH showed a signal for Ebola. Samples were then sent to Dakar, Senegal, for a confirmatory test. Dr. Adadevoh went for several meetings with the Lagos State Ministry of Health. Thereafter, officials from Lagos State came to inspect the hospital and the protective measures we had put in place.
The following day, Thursday 24th July, Dr Ada Igonoh was again on call. At about 10.00pm the importer of Ebola, Mr Sawyer, requested to see her.
“I went into the newly created dressing room, donned my protective gear and went in to see him. He had not been cooperating with the nurses and had refused any additional treatment. He sounded confused and said he received a call from Liberia asking for a detailed medical report to be sent to them. He also said he had to travel back to Liberia on a 5.00am flight the following morning and that he didn’t want to miss his flight. I told him that I would inform Dr. Adadevoh.
However, on the following day his condition worsened. He barely ate any of his meals. His liver function test result showed his liver enzymes were markedly elevated. We then took samples for HIV and hepatitis screening.
At about 5.00pm he requested to see a doctor.
“I was the doctor on call that night so I went in to see him. He was lying in bed with his intravenous (I.V.) fluid bag removed from its metal stand and placed beside him. He complained that he had stooled about five times that evening and that he wanted to use the bathroom again. I picked up the I.V. bag from his bed and hung it back on the stand. I told him I would inform a nurse to come and disconnect the I.V. so he could conveniently go to the bathroom. I walked out of his room and went straight to the nurses’ station where I told the nurse on duty to disconnect his I.V. I then informed my Consultant, Dr. Ameyo Adadevoh about the patient’s condition and she asked that he be placed on some medications,” Ebola survivor narrated.
The following day, the results for HIV and hepatitis screening came out negative.
“As we were preparing for the early morning ward rounds, I was approached by an ECOWAS official who informed me that Patrick Sawyer had to catch an 11 o’clock flight to Calabar for a retreat that morning. He wanted to know if it would be possible. I told him it wasn’t, as he was acutely ill. Dr. Adadevoh also told him the patient could certainly not leave the hospital in his condition. She then instructed me to write very boldly on his chart that on no account should Patrick Sawyer be allowed out of the hospital premises without the permission of Dr. Ohiaeri, our Chief Medical Consultant. All nurses and doctors were duly informed.”
During early morning ward round with Dr. Adadevoh the medics concluded that this was not malaria and that the patient needed to be screened for Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).
She immediately started calling laboratories to find out where the test could be carried out. She was eventually referred to Professor Omilabu of the LUTH Virology Reference Lab in Idi-Araba whom she called immediately.
Prof. Omilabu told her to send blood and urine samples to LUTH straight away. She tried to reach the Lagos State Commissioner for Health but was unable to contact him at the time. She also put calls across to officials of the Federal Ministry of Health and National Centre for Disease Control.
Dr. Adadevoh at this time was in a pensive mood. Patrick Sawyer was now a suspected case of Ebola, perhaps the first in the country. He was quarantined, and strict barrier nursing was applied with all the precautionary measures we could muster. Dr. Adadevoh went online, downloaded information on Ebola and printed copies which were distributed to the nurses, doctors and ward maids. Blood and urine samples were sent to LUTH that morning. Protective gear, gloves, shoe covers and facemasks were provided for the staff. A wooden barricade was placed at the entrance of the door to keep visitors and unauthorized personnel away from the patient.
Late Dr Ameyo Adadevoh. Photo: TheNation
On the morning of Wednesday 23rd July, the tests carried out in LUTH showed a signal for Ebola. Samples were then sent to Dakar, Senegal, for a confirmatory test. Dr. Adadevoh went for several meetings with the Lagos State Ministry of Health. Thereafter, officials from Lagos State came to inspect the hospital and the protective measures we had put in place.
The following day, Thursday 24th July, Dr Ada Igonoh was again on call. At about 10.00pm the importer of Ebola, Mr Sawyer, requested to see her.
“I went into the newly created dressing room, donned my protective gear and went in to see him. He had not been cooperating with the nurses and had refused any additional treatment. He sounded confused and said he received a call from Liberia asking for a detailed medical report to be sent to them. He also said he had to travel back to Liberia on a 5.00am flight the following morning and that he didn’t want to miss his flight. I told him that I would inform Dr. Adadevoh.
“As I was leaving the room, I met Dr. Adadevoh dressed in her protective gear along with a nurse and another doctor. They went into his room to have a discussion with him and as I heard later to reset his I.V. line which he had deliberately removed after my visit to his room,” Ebola survivor recalled.
At 6.30am, Friday, 25th July, Dr. Igonoh was alerted by a nurse that Patrick Sawyer was completely unresponsive. The doctor had to put the protective gear on and entered the dangerous room. She found the US-Liberian slumped in the bathroom. It was over for him: no respiratory movement, his pulse was absent. The doctors had lost him and the first death from Ebola on the Nigerian territory happened.
Dr. Ada Igonoh was the first who certified Patrick Sawyer’s death. She notified Dr. Adadevoh immediately and she had instructed that no one was be allowed to go into Ebola victim’s room for any reason at all.
Later that day, officials from the World Health Organisation (WHO) came and took Sawyer’s body away. The test in Dakar later came out positive for Zaire strain of the Ebola virus. The first EVD case in Nigeria was officially confirmed.
“It was a sobering day. We all began to go over all that happened in the last few days, wondering just how much physical contact we had individually made with Patrick Sawyer. Every patient on admission was discharged that day and decontamination began in the hospital. We were now managing a crisis situation,” the doctor continued.
The following day, Saturday 26th July, all staff of First Consultants attended a meeting with Prof. Nasidi of the National Centre for Disease Control, Prof Omilabu of LUTH Virology Reference Lab, and some WHO officials. They congratulated the health workers on the actions they had taken. The officials also enlightened the medics further about the EVD.
They said the health workers were going to be grouped into high risk and low risk categories based on their individual level of exposure to Patrick Sawyer, the “index” case. Each person received a temperature chart and a thermometer to record temperatures in the morning and night for the following 21 days.
“We were all officially under surveillance. We were asked to report to them at the first sign of a fever for further blood tests to be done. We were reassured that we would all be given adequate care. The anxiety in the air was palpable.
“The frenetic pace of life in Lagos, coupled with the demanding nature of my job as a doctor, means that I occasionally need a change of environment. As such, one week before Patrick Sawyer died, I had gone to my parents’ home for a retreat. I was still staying with them when I received my temperature chart and thermometer on Tuesday 29th of July. I could not contain my anxiety,” the doctor recalled.
Meanwhile, the issue of Ebola became trending everywhere: on TV, radio and in the media, both online and paper.
Dr. Igonoh soon started experiencing joint and muscle aches and a sore throat. She did not panic immediately, thought anxiety and stress made her feel like that. So, first of all, the doctor took malaria tablets and some antibiotics for the sore throat. Measurements of temperature showed normal results. But some anxiety remained:
“Every day I would attempt to recall the period Patrick Sawyer was on admission – just how much direct and indirect contact did I have with him? I reassured myself that my contact with him was quite minimal. I completed the anti-malarials but the aches and pains persisted. I had loss of appetite and felt very tired.”
Trouble started on August 1, Friday. The temperature of the doctor increased to 38.7c.
“I could not believe what I saw on the thermometer. I ran to my mother’s room and told her. I did not go to work that day. I cautiously started using a separate set of utensils and cups from the ones my family members were using,” she recalled.
The fever worsened on Saturday. Thermometer was at 39c, none of the drugs, including paracetamol, helped. Dr. Igonoh could not eat due to 48-hour-long fever and worsened pains in her throat. She made a call a special helpline. They sent an ambulance to her place with some of WHO specialists. The doctors took her blood sample, but did not take her to the quarantine centre. She started stooling and vomiting later that day. Dr. Igonoh tried to distance herself from the family, washed her spoons and plates and by herself only. At the same time the parents of Ebola suspect believed her daughter was not infected.
On August 3, 2014, Sunday, the WHO doctors called Dr. Igonoh. They told me that the collected sample was not confirmatory, and that another one was required. The ambulance arrived at her place in the afternoon. The doctor felt worried and became even more confused when she got ‘invited’ to go to Yaba.
“I was confused. Couldn’t the second sample be taken in the ambulance like the previous one? He said a better-qualified person at the Yaba centre would take the sample. I asked if they would bring me back. He said “yes.” Even with the symptoms I did not believe I had Ebola. After all, my contact with Sawyer was minimal. I only touched his I.V. fluid bag just that once without gloves. The only time I actually touched him was when I checked his pulse and confirmed him dead, and I wore double gloves and felt adequately protected.”
She promised her parents to be back by evening. Ada wore her usual pair of jeans, a white top, put her iPad and phones in the bag as well.
Acting as a real gentleman, a medical specialist opened the ambulance door for her. What was really strange in his action is that he moved away from the lady rather swiftly.
“They were friendly with me the day before, but that day, not so. No pleasantries, no smiles. I looked up and saw my mother watching through her bedroom window,” the doctor continued.
Upon arrival to Yaba centre she was left alone in the back of the ambulance for over four hours.
“My mind was in a whirl. I didn’t know what to think. I was offered food to eat but I could barely eat the rice,” Ebola survivor recounted.
At 6.30am, Friday, 25th July, Dr. Igonoh was alerted by a nurse that Patrick Sawyer was completely unresponsive. The doctor had to put the protective gear on and entered the dangerous room. She found the US-Liberian slumped in the bathroom. It was over for him: no respiratory movement, his pulse was absent. The doctors had lost him and the first death from Ebola on the Nigerian territory happened.
Dr. Ada Igonoh was the first who certified Patrick Sawyer’s death. She notified Dr. Adadevoh immediately and she had instructed that no one was be allowed to go into Ebola victim’s room for any reason at all.
Later that day, officials from the World Health Organisation (WHO) came and took Sawyer’s body away. The test in Dakar later came out positive for Zaire strain of the Ebola virus. The first EVD case in Nigeria was officially confirmed.
“It was a sobering day. We all began to go over all that happened in the last few days, wondering just how much physical contact we had individually made with Patrick Sawyer. Every patient on admission was discharged that day and decontamination began in the hospital. We were now managing a crisis situation,” the doctor continued.
The following day, Saturday 26th July, all staff of First Consultants attended a meeting with Prof. Nasidi of the National Centre for Disease Control, Prof Omilabu of LUTH Virology Reference Lab, and some WHO officials. They congratulated the health workers on the actions they had taken. The officials also enlightened the medics further about the EVD.
They said the health workers were going to be grouped into high risk and low risk categories based on their individual level of exposure to Patrick Sawyer, the “index” case. Each person received a temperature chart and a thermometer to record temperatures in the morning and night for the following 21 days.
“We were all officially under surveillance. We were asked to report to them at the first sign of a fever for further blood tests to be done. We were reassured that we would all be given adequate care. The anxiety in the air was palpable.
“The frenetic pace of life in Lagos, coupled with the demanding nature of my job as a doctor, means that I occasionally need a change of environment. As such, one week before Patrick Sawyer died, I had gone to my parents’ home for a retreat. I was still staying with them when I received my temperature chart and thermometer on Tuesday 29th of July. I could not contain my anxiety,” the doctor recalled.
Meanwhile, the issue of Ebola became trending everywhere: on TV, radio and in the media, both online and paper.
Dr. Igonoh soon started experiencing joint and muscle aches and a sore throat. She did not panic immediately, thought anxiety and stress made her feel like that. So, first of all, the doctor took malaria tablets and some antibiotics for the sore throat. Measurements of temperature showed normal results. But some anxiety remained:
“Every day I would attempt to recall the period Patrick Sawyer was on admission – just how much direct and indirect contact did I have with him? I reassured myself that my contact with him was quite minimal. I completed the anti-malarials but the aches and pains persisted. I had loss of appetite and felt very tired.”
Trouble started on August 1, Friday. The temperature of the doctor increased to 38.7c.
“I could not believe what I saw on the thermometer. I ran to my mother’s room and told her. I did not go to work that day. I cautiously started using a separate set of utensils and cups from the ones my family members were using,” she recalled.
The fever worsened on Saturday. Thermometer was at 39c, none of the drugs, including paracetamol, helped. Dr. Igonoh could not eat due to 48-hour-long fever and worsened pains in her throat. She made a call a special helpline. They sent an ambulance to her place with some of WHO specialists. The doctors took her blood sample, but did not take her to the quarantine centre. She started stooling and vomiting later that day. Dr. Igonoh tried to distance herself from the family, washed her spoons and plates and by herself only. At the same time the parents of Ebola suspect believed her daughter was not infected.
On August 3, 2014, Sunday, the WHO doctors called Dr. Igonoh. They told me that the collected sample was not confirmatory, and that another one was required. The ambulance arrived at her place in the afternoon. The doctor felt worried and became even more confused when she got ‘invited’ to go to Yaba.
“I was confused. Couldn’t the second sample be taken in the ambulance like the previous one? He said a better-qualified person at the Yaba centre would take the sample. I asked if they would bring me back. He said “yes.” Even with the symptoms I did not believe I had Ebola. After all, my contact with Sawyer was minimal. I only touched his I.V. fluid bag just that once without gloves. The only time I actually touched him was when I checked his pulse and confirmed him dead, and I wore double gloves and felt adequately protected.”
She promised her parents to be back by evening. Ada wore her usual pair of jeans, a white top, put her iPad and phones in the bag as well.
Acting as a real gentleman, a medical specialist opened the ambulance door for her. What was really strange in his action is that he moved away from the lady rather swiftly.
“They were friendly with me the day before, but that day, not so. No pleasantries, no smiles. I looked up and saw my mother watching through her bedroom window,” the doctor continued.
Upon arrival to Yaba centre she was left alone in the back of the ambulance for over four hours.
“My mind was in a whirl. I didn’t know what to think. I was offered food to eat but I could barely eat the rice,” Ebola survivor recounted.
Finally, the ambulance door was opened. A Caucasian gentleman approached her, but not too close, saying: “I have to inform you that your blood tested positive for Ebola. I am sorry.”
She had no reaction, just shock. The man asked the infected doctor to open the mouth and he had a look at her tongue. He then confirmed it was a “typical Ebola tongue”.
Dr. Igonoh took out her mirror and looked closer.
“I was shocked at what I saw. My whole tongue had a white coating, looked furry and had a long, deep ridge right in the middle. I then started to look at my whole body, searching for Ebola rashes and other signs as we had been recently instructed.”
Then she made a call to her mother, asking to lock her room, desist from touching anything and not to let anyone inside. The mother was stunned and reacted with silence. Ada cut the line.
The infected doctor was taken to the female ward. This is how she described that awful place:
“It looked like an abandoned building. I suspected it had not been in use for quite a while. As I walked in, I immediately recognized one of the ward maids from our hospital. She always had a smile for me but not this time. She was ill and she looked it. She had been stooling a lot too. I soon settled into my corner and looked around the room. It smelled of faeces and vomit. It also had a characteristic Ebola smell to which I became accustomed. Dinner was served – rice and stew. The pepper stung my mouth and tongue. I dropped the spoon. No dinner that night.”
The Caucasian man who had met Dr. Igonoh at the ambulance on her arrival was Dr. David. The specialist entered wearing his full protective ‘hazmat’ suit and goggles.
“It was fascinating seeing one live. I had only seen them online. He brought bottles of water and ORS, the oral fluid therapy which he dropped by my bedside,” Ebola patient recalled.
The medic said that 90% of the treatment depended on the patient. He ordered the lady to drink at least 4.5 litres of ORS daily to replace fluids lost in stooling and vomiting. Dr. David also told that taking Imodium tablets to stop the stooling was not advisable, because the virus would replicate the more inside the victim. The specialist concluded that it was better to let it out. The doctor said good night to his new female patient and left.
Dr. Igonoh was swarmed by calls from parents and relatives on Sunday evening. Her husband called crying, as he could not believe this news.
“As I lay on my bed in that isolation ward, strangely, I did not fear for my life. I was confident that I would leave that ward some day. There was an inner sense of calm. I did not for a second think I would be consumed by the disease. That evening, the symptoms fully kicked in. I was stooling almost every two hours. The toilets did not flush so I had to fetch water in a bucket from the bathroom each time I used the toilet. I then placed another bucket beneath my bed for the vomiting. On occasion I would run to the toilet with a bottle of ORS, so that as I was stooling, I was drinking,” Ebola survivor revealed.
On the following day, Monday, August 4, the first red rashes on her skin, particularly on her arms, appeared. The symptoms were added by sores all over woman’s mouth and her head was pounding so badly. She could not eat due to throat problems, but managed to drink the ORS. The infected doctor took paracetamol in an attempt to ease the pain.
“The ward maid across from me wasn’t doing so well. She had stopped speaking. I couldn’t even brush my teeth; the sores in my mouth were so bad. This was a battle for my life but I was determined I would not die,” Ada said.
The courageous Ebola patient started her day with reading and meditating on Psalm 91. She noted that the sanitary condition in the ward left much to be desired. The sheets were not changed for days. The floor was stained with greenish vomitus and excrement. The main specialist, Dr. David, would come in once or twice a day and help clean up the ward after chatting with the ailing people. He was the only doctor who attended to the patients. There was no one else at that time.
The patients had to collect the food themselves, as the matrons left meals outside the door. On the other hand, it was easy to explain: everyone was being careful.
Dr. Igonoh made another discovery on how the doctors themselves might have contracted the EVD. Mosquitoes were their roommates until mosquito nets were brought in.
Dr. David brought another female patient into the isolator. It was Justina Ejelonu, a nurse who had started working at First Consultants on the 21st of July, a day after Patrick Saywer was admitted. Dr. Igonoh recognised her immediately.
Justina was on duty on the day Patrick reported that he was stooling. While she was attending to him that night, she had contact with the blood Nigeria’s first Ebola victim. The nurse was pregnant, but unfortunately suffered a suspected miscarriage while being admitted to the isolation centre. Initially, Justina was told she had been in Yaba for monitoring her condition only. The news that she was Ebola-positive came on the following day, when the results of the blood test were ready. Justina was devastated and wept profusely.
Ada got lots for support from her husband, who paid regular visits to her.
“He could only see me from a window at a distance. He visited so many times. It was he who brought me a change of clothes and toiletries and other things I needed because I had not even packed a bag. I was grateful I was not with him at home when I fell ill or he would most certainly have contracted the disease. My retreat at my parents’ home turned out to be the instrumentality God used to shield and save him.”
The infected doctor kept drinking the ORS fluid. She also got a call from her pastor. He had been informed about her predicament. The pastor called Ada every single day in the morning and in the night. They prayed together over the phone. The man of God later sent her a CD player, CDs of messages on faith and healing, and Holy Communion packs through Ada’s husband.
“My pastor, who also happens to be a medical doctor, encouraged me to monitor how many times I had stooled and vomited each day and how many bottles of ORS I had consumed. We would then discuss the disease and pray together. He asked me to do my research on Ebola since I had my iPad with me and told me that he was also doing his study. He wanted us to use all relevant information on Ebola to our advantage…
“My research, my faith, my positive view of life, the extended times of prayer, study and listening to encouraging messages boosted my belief that I would survive the Ebola scourge,” the survivor stated.
The doctor learnt that five strains of the virus exist and the deadliest of them is the Zaire strain. Infected patients who succumb to the disease usually die between 6 to 16 days after the onset of the disease from multiple organ failure and shock caused by dehydration. So she was counting the days and keeping herself well-hydrated. Ada wanted to live!
Knowledge is power. Her research resulted in more curious details and “gave her ammunition”.
As soon as the virus gets into the body, it begins to replicate really fast. It enters the blood cells, destroys them and uses those same blood cells to aggressively invade other organs where they further multiply. Ideally, the body’s immune system should immediately mount up a response by producing antibodies to fight the virus. If the person is strong enough, and that strength is sustained long enough for the immune system to kill off the viruses, the patient is likely to survive. If the virus replicates faster than the antibodies can handle however, further damage is done to the organs. Ebola can be likened to a multi-level, multi-organ attack.
She treated herself with more ORS, repeating: “I am a survivor, I am a survivor.”
Dr. Igonoh learnt that a patient with Ebola cannot be re-infected and they cannot relapse back into the disease as there is some immunity conferred on survivors.
She discussed her discoveries with her pastor, continued to meditate on the Word of God. “It was my daily bread,” the doctor confessed.
Shortly after Justina came into the ward, the ward maid, Mrs Ukoh, passed away. The disease had gotten into her central nervous system. Her lifeless body was of full display for about 12 hours before WHO officials came and took it away.
The ward had become the house of death. The whole area surrounding late Ukoh’s bed was disinfected with bleach. The mattress of the deceased was taken away and burned.
“To contain the frequent diarrhea, I had started wearing adult diapers, as running to the toilet was no longer convenient for me. The indignity was quite overwhelming, but I did not have a choice. My faith was being severely tested. The situation was desperate enough to break anyone psychologically,” the strong woman continued.
Dr. Ohiaeri also called the patients of the isolation centre day and night, enquiring about their health and the progress they were making. He sent provisions, extra drugs, vitamins, Lucozade, towels, tissue paper; everything the women needed to be more comfortable in that dark hole they found themselves. Some of male colleagues of Dr. Igonoh had also been admitted to this centre. However, the male ward was two rooms away, and they had no contact.
The spirits were lowered by the news that Jato, the ECOWAS protocol officer to Patrick Sawyer who had also tested positive, died days after he had been admitted.
“Two more females joined us in the ward; a nurse from our hospital and a patient from another hospital. There were times we would be awakened by the sudden, loud cry from one of the women. It was either from fear, pain mixed with the distress or just the sheer oppression of our isolation,” Ada recounted.
Five days after she was admitted, the vomiting stopped. A day after that the diarrhea ceased. The doctor was overwhelmed with joy. It happened at a time she thought her organism would no longer accept even the drop of the ORS. Drinking that fluid had stretched her endurance greatly.
Prayer meetings were being held on her behalf. Ada’s family members were praying day and night. She was encouraged by text messages of prayers from family and friends. The woman was able to pass her positive energy to others in the ward.
“I then graduated from drinking only the ORS fluid to eating only bananas, to drinking pap and then bland foods. Just when I thought I had the victory, I suddenly developed a severe fever. The initial fever had subsided four days after I was admitted, and then suddenly it showed up again. I thought it was the Ebola,” Dr. Igonoh said.
Dr. David stated fever was sometimes the last thing to go, but he expressed surprise that it had stopped only to come back on again. The survivor was perplexed.
“I discussed it with my pastor who said it could be a separate pathology and possibly a symptom of malaria. He promised he would research if indeed this was Ebola or something else. That night as I stared at the dirty ceiling, I felt a strong impression that the new fever I had developed was not as a result of Ebola but malaria. I was relieved. The following morning, Dr. Ohiaeri sent me antimalarial medication which I took for three days. Before the end of the treatment, the fever had disappeared,” Ada revealed.
The mother of Dr. Igonoh was under surveillance along with other family members. Hours later, on Twitter, the doctor came across a tweet by WHO saying that the sweat of an Ebola patient cannot transmit the virus at the early stage of the infection. The sweat could only transmit it at the late stage. It calmed her down, as she knew her mother had contact with her sweat, but only in the very beginning of the ordeal.
Soon, volunteer doctors started coming to help Dr. David take care of patients. They had learned how to protect themselves.
“Among the volunteer doctors was Dr. Badmus, my consultant in LUTH during my housemanship days. It was good to see a familiar face among the care-givers. I soon understood the important role these brave volunteers were playing,” Ada noted.
As the medical personnel increased in number, so did the number of shifts and, subsequently, the number of times the patients could access a doctor in one day. This allowed for more frequent patient monitoring and treatment. It also reduced care-giver fatigue. It was clear that Lagos State was working hard to contain the crisis.
Justina’s death on the 12th of August was a great blow and faith of people at the centre.
“I commenced daily Bible study with the other two female patients and we would encourage one another to stay positive in our outlook though in the natural it was grim and very depressing. My communion sessions with the other women were very special moments for us all,” Ada recalled.
On her 10th day in the ward, the doctors having noted that she had stopped vomiting and stooling and was no longer running a fever, decided it was time to take her blood sample to test if the virus had cleared from her system. They took the sample and told her that it may still come out positive, as the virus takes a while before it is cleared completely. She prayed and really wanted that to be the first and last sample to be tested for the absence of the virus in her system. Ada discussed the situation with the pastor and they prayed again.
On the evening of the day Justina passed on, the patients were moved to the new isolation centre. People felt like they were leaving hell and going to heaven. They were conveyed to the new place in an ambulance. It was just behind the old building. The new building was cleaner and much better than the old one. Towels and nightwear were provided on each bed. The environment was serene.
The following night, Dr. Adadevoh was moved to the new isolation ward from her private room where she had previously been receiving treatment. She had also tested positive for Ebola and was now in a coma. She was receiving I.V. fluids and oxygen support and was being monitored closely by the WHO doctors.
“We all hoped and prayed that she would come out of it. It was so difficult seeing her in that state. I could not bear it. She was my consultant, my boss, my teacher and my mentor. She was the imperial lady of First Consultants, full of passion, energy and competence. I imagined she would wake up soon and see that she was surrounded by her First Consultants family but sadly it was not to be,” Ada said.
Two days later, on August 16, 2014, Saturday, the WHO doctors came with some papers. Ada was informed that the result of her blood test was negative for Ebola virus. She was free to go home after being in isolation for exactly 14 days.
“I was so full of thanks and praise to God. I called my mother to get fresh clothes and slippers and come pick me. My husband couldn’t stop shouting when I called him. He was completely overwhelmed with joy,” Ebola survivor said.
However, she was not allowed to take any of her belongings back home. CD player, her research assistant, aka iPad, phones with touching messages and other items should have been destroyed. She said to herself: “I have life! I can always replace these items.”
Ada went for a chlorine bath, which was necessary to disinfect her skin from her head to toes. She compared this feeling to being baptized into a new life as Dr. Carolina, a WHO doctor from Argentina, poured the bucket of chlorinated water all over the cured woman. Ada wore a new set of clothes, following the strict instructions that no part of the clothes must touch the floor and the walls. Dr. Carolina monitored the process, making sure that instructions have been observed.
“I was led out of the bathroom and straight to the lawn to be united with my family, but first I had to cut the red ribbon that served as a barrier. It was a symbolic expression of my freedom. Everyone cheered and clapped. It was a little but very important ceremony for me. I was free from Ebola! I hugged my family as one who had been liberated after many years of incarceration. I was like someone who had fought death face to face and come back to the land of the living,” Dr. Igonoh confessed.
All the people had to pass through several stations of disinfection before they reached the car. Bleach and chlorinated water were sprayed on everyone’s legs at each station.
Ada’s parents and two brothers were under monitoring for 21 days and they completed the surveillance successfully. None of them came down with a fever. The house had been disinfected by Lagos State Ministry of Health soon after Dr. Igonoh was admitted the isolation centre.
“I thank God for shielding them from the plague. My recovery after discharge has been gradual but progressive. I thank God for the support of family and friends. I remember my colleagues who we lost in this battle. Dr. Adadevoh my boss, Nurse Justina Ejelonu, and the ward maid, Mrs. Ukoh, were heroines who lost their lives in the cause to protect Nigeria. They will never be forgotten,” she stated.
Ebola survivor commended the dedication of doctors from the WHO, Dr. David from Virginia, USA, who tried several times to convince her to specialize in infectious diseases, Dr. Carolina from Argentina who spoke so calmly and encouragingly with the patients, Mr. Mauricio from Italy who always offered Ada apples and gave the patients novels to read.
Dr. Igonoh’s special thanks go to the volunteer Nigerian doctors, matrons and cleaners who risked their lives to take care of the patients. According to her, the Government of Lagos State, the state and federal ministries of health deserve kudos as well for their swift efforts to contain the spread of the EVD.
“To all those prayed for me, I cannot thank you enough. And to my First Consultants family, I say a heartfelt thank you for your dedication and for your support throughout this very difficult period.
“I still believe in miracles. None of us in the isolation ward was given any experimental drugs or so-called immune boosters. I was full of faith yet pragmatic enough to consume as much ORS as I could even when I wanted to give up and throw the bottles away. I researched on the disease extensively and read accounts of the survivors. I believed that even if the mortality rate was 99%, I would be part of the 1% who survive,” the doctor declared.
From her experience she said that early detection and reporting to hospital was the key to patients’ survival. One should never hide the fact of contacting an Ebola carrier and developing of the symptoms.
“Regardless of any grim stories one may have heard about the treatment of patients in the isolation centre, it is still better to be in the isolation ward with specialist care, than at home where you and others will be at risk,” the doctor who won the battle against the virus said.
“I read that Dr. Kent Brantly, the American doctor who contracted Ebola in Liberia and was flown out to the United States for treatment was being criticized for attributing his healing to God when he was given the experimental drug, Zmapp. I don’t claim to have all the answers to the nagging questions of life. Why do some die and some survive? Why do bad things happen to good people? Where is God in the midst of pain and suffering? Where does science end and God begin? These are issues we may never fully comprehend on this side of eternity. All I know is that I walked through the valley of the shadow of death and came out unscathed,” Dr. Ada Igonoh concluded.
The Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), also known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever, is a severe condition caused by a virus from the Filoviridae family.
Known to be a condition that is transmitted from animals to humans, this virus spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person or animal. There is still no tested cure or globally-approved vaccine. The mortality rate of the virus in various separate outbreaks throughout the history reached up to 90%.
She had no reaction, just shock. The man asked the infected doctor to open the mouth and he had a look at her tongue. He then confirmed it was a “typical Ebola tongue”.
Dr. Igonoh took out her mirror and looked closer.
“I was shocked at what I saw. My whole tongue had a white coating, looked furry and had a long, deep ridge right in the middle. I then started to look at my whole body, searching for Ebola rashes and other signs as we had been recently instructed.”
Then she made a call to her mother, asking to lock her room, desist from touching anything and not to let anyone inside. The mother was stunned and reacted with silence. Ada cut the line.
The infected doctor was taken to the female ward. This is how she described that awful place:
“It looked like an abandoned building. I suspected it had not been in use for quite a while. As I walked in, I immediately recognized one of the ward maids from our hospital. She always had a smile for me but not this time. She was ill and she looked it. She had been stooling a lot too. I soon settled into my corner and looked around the room. It smelled of faeces and vomit. It also had a characteristic Ebola smell to which I became accustomed. Dinner was served – rice and stew. The pepper stung my mouth and tongue. I dropped the spoon. No dinner that night.”
The Caucasian man who had met Dr. Igonoh at the ambulance on her arrival was Dr. David. The specialist entered wearing his full protective ‘hazmat’ suit and goggles.
“It was fascinating seeing one live. I had only seen them online. He brought bottles of water and ORS, the oral fluid therapy which he dropped by my bedside,” Ebola patient recalled.
The medic said that 90% of the treatment depended on the patient. He ordered the lady to drink at least 4.5 litres of ORS daily to replace fluids lost in stooling and vomiting. Dr. David also told that taking Imodium tablets to stop the stooling was not advisable, because the virus would replicate the more inside the victim. The specialist concluded that it was better to let it out. The doctor said good night to his new female patient and left.
Dr. Igonoh was swarmed by calls from parents and relatives on Sunday evening. Her husband called crying, as he could not believe this news.
“As I lay on my bed in that isolation ward, strangely, I did not fear for my life. I was confident that I would leave that ward some day. There was an inner sense of calm. I did not for a second think I would be consumed by the disease. That evening, the symptoms fully kicked in. I was stooling almost every two hours. The toilets did not flush so I had to fetch water in a bucket from the bathroom each time I used the toilet. I then placed another bucket beneath my bed for the vomiting. On occasion I would run to the toilet with a bottle of ORS, so that as I was stooling, I was drinking,” Ebola survivor revealed.
On the following day, Monday, August 4, the first red rashes on her skin, particularly on her arms, appeared. The symptoms were added by sores all over woman’s mouth and her head was pounding so badly. She could not eat due to throat problems, but managed to drink the ORS. The infected doctor took paracetamol in an attempt to ease the pain.
“The ward maid across from me wasn’t doing so well. She had stopped speaking. I couldn’t even brush my teeth; the sores in my mouth were so bad. This was a battle for my life but I was determined I would not die,” Ada said.
The courageous Ebola patient started her day with reading and meditating on Psalm 91. She noted that the sanitary condition in the ward left much to be desired. The sheets were not changed for days. The floor was stained with greenish vomitus and excrement. The main specialist, Dr. David, would come in once or twice a day and help clean up the ward after chatting with the ailing people. He was the only doctor who attended to the patients. There was no one else at that time.
The patients had to collect the food themselves, as the matrons left meals outside the door. On the other hand, it was easy to explain: everyone was being careful.
Dr. Igonoh made another discovery on how the doctors themselves might have contracted the EVD. Mosquitoes were their roommates until mosquito nets were brought in.
Dr. David brought another female patient into the isolator. It was Justina Ejelonu, a nurse who had started working at First Consultants on the 21st of July, a day after Patrick Saywer was admitted. Dr. Igonoh recognised her immediately.
Obi Justina Ejelonu was taken to quarantine centre by her husband-to-be. Photo: Vanguard
Ada got lots for support from her husband, who paid regular visits to her.
“He could only see me from a window at a distance. He visited so many times. It was he who brought me a change of clothes and toiletries and other things I needed because I had not even packed a bag. I was grateful I was not with him at home when I fell ill or he would most certainly have contracted the disease. My retreat at my parents’ home turned out to be the instrumentality God used to shield and save him.”
The infected doctor kept drinking the ORS fluid. She also got a call from her pastor. He had been informed about her predicament. The pastor called Ada every single day in the morning and in the night. They prayed together over the phone. The man of God later sent her a CD player, CDs of messages on faith and healing, and Holy Communion packs through Ada’s husband.
“My pastor, who also happens to be a medical doctor, encouraged me to monitor how many times I had stooled and vomited each day and how many bottles of ORS I had consumed. We would then discuss the disease and pray together. He asked me to do my research on Ebola since I had my iPad with me and told me that he was also doing his study. He wanted us to use all relevant information on Ebola to our advantage…
“My research, my faith, my positive view of life, the extended times of prayer, study and listening to encouraging messages boosted my belief that I would survive the Ebola scourge,” the survivor stated.
The doctor learnt that five strains of the virus exist and the deadliest of them is the Zaire strain. Infected patients who succumb to the disease usually die between 6 to 16 days after the onset of the disease from multiple organ failure and shock caused by dehydration. So she was counting the days and keeping herself well-hydrated. Ada wanted to live!
Knowledge is power. Her research resulted in more curious details and “gave her ammunition”.
As soon as the virus gets into the body, it begins to replicate really fast. It enters the blood cells, destroys them and uses those same blood cells to aggressively invade other organs where they further multiply. Ideally, the body’s immune system should immediately mount up a response by producing antibodies to fight the virus. If the person is strong enough, and that strength is sustained long enough for the immune system to kill off the viruses, the patient is likely to survive. If the virus replicates faster than the antibodies can handle however, further damage is done to the organs. Ebola can be likened to a multi-level, multi-organ attack.
She treated herself with more ORS, repeating: “I am a survivor, I am a survivor.”
Dr. Igonoh learnt that a patient with Ebola cannot be re-infected and they cannot relapse back into the disease as there is some immunity conferred on survivors.
She discussed her discoveries with her pastor, continued to meditate on the Word of God. “It was my daily bread,” the doctor confessed.
Shortly after Justina came into the ward, the ward maid, Mrs Ukoh, passed away. The disease had gotten into her central nervous system. Her lifeless body was of full display for about 12 hours before WHO officials came and took it away.
The ward had become the house of death. The whole area surrounding late Ukoh’s bed was disinfected with bleach. The mattress of the deceased was taken away and burned.
“To contain the frequent diarrhea, I had started wearing adult diapers, as running to the toilet was no longer convenient for me. The indignity was quite overwhelming, but I did not have a choice. My faith was being severely tested. The situation was desperate enough to break anyone psychologically,” the strong woman continued.
Dr. Ohiaeri also called the patients of the isolation centre day and night, enquiring about their health and the progress they were making. He sent provisions, extra drugs, vitamins, Lucozade, towels, tissue paper; everything the women needed to be more comfortable in that dark hole they found themselves. Some of male colleagues of Dr. Igonoh had also been admitted to this centre. However, the male ward was two rooms away, and they had no contact.
The spirits were lowered by the news that Jato, the ECOWAS protocol officer to Patrick Sawyer who had also tested positive, died days after he had been admitted.
“Two more females joined us in the ward; a nurse from our hospital and a patient from another hospital. There were times we would be awakened by the sudden, loud cry from one of the women. It was either from fear, pain mixed with the distress or just the sheer oppression of our isolation,” Ada recounted.
Five days after she was admitted, the vomiting stopped. A day after that the diarrhea ceased. The doctor was overwhelmed with joy. It happened at a time she thought her organism would no longer accept even the drop of the ORS. Drinking that fluid had stretched her endurance greatly.
Prayer meetings were being held on her behalf. Ada’s family members were praying day and night. She was encouraged by text messages of prayers from family and friends. The woman was able to pass her positive energy to others in the ward.
“I then graduated from drinking only the ORS fluid to eating only bananas, to drinking pap and then bland foods. Just when I thought I had the victory, I suddenly developed a severe fever. The initial fever had subsided four days after I was admitted, and then suddenly it showed up again. I thought it was the Ebola,” Dr. Igonoh said.
Dr. David stated fever was sometimes the last thing to go, but he expressed surprise that it had stopped only to come back on again. The survivor was perplexed.
“I discussed it with my pastor who said it could be a separate pathology and possibly a symptom of malaria. He promised he would research if indeed this was Ebola or something else. That night as I stared at the dirty ceiling, I felt a strong impression that the new fever I had developed was not as a result of Ebola but malaria. I was relieved. The following morning, Dr. Ohiaeri sent me antimalarial medication which I took for three days. Before the end of the treatment, the fever had disappeared,” Ada revealed.
The mother of Dr. Igonoh was under surveillance along with other family members. Hours later, on Twitter, the doctor came across a tweet by WHO saying that the sweat of an Ebola patient cannot transmit the virus at the early stage of the infection. The sweat could only transmit it at the late stage. It calmed her down, as she knew her mother had contact with her sweat, but only in the very beginning of the ordeal.
Soon, volunteer doctors started coming to help Dr. David take care of patients. They had learned how to protect themselves.
“Among the volunteer doctors was Dr. Badmus, my consultant in LUTH during my housemanship days. It was good to see a familiar face among the care-givers. I soon understood the important role these brave volunteers were playing,” Ada noted.
As the medical personnel increased in number, so did the number of shifts and, subsequently, the number of times the patients could access a doctor in one day. This allowed for more frequent patient monitoring and treatment. It also reduced care-giver fatigue. It was clear that Lagos State was working hard to contain the crisis.
Justina’s death on the 12th of August was a great blow and faith of people at the centre.
“I commenced daily Bible study with the other two female patients and we would encourage one another to stay positive in our outlook though in the natural it was grim and very depressing. My communion sessions with the other women were very special moments for us all,” Ada recalled.
On her 10th day in the ward, the doctors having noted that she had stopped vomiting and stooling and was no longer running a fever, decided it was time to take her blood sample to test if the virus had cleared from her system. They took the sample and told her that it may still come out positive, as the virus takes a while before it is cleared completely. She prayed and really wanted that to be the first and last sample to be tested for the absence of the virus in her system. Ada discussed the situation with the pastor and they prayed again.
On the evening of the day Justina passed on, the patients were moved to the new isolation centre. People felt like they were leaving hell and going to heaven. They were conveyed to the new place in an ambulance. It was just behind the old building. The new building was cleaner and much better than the old one. Towels and nightwear were provided on each bed. The environment was serene.
The following night, Dr. Adadevoh was moved to the new isolation ward from her private room where she had previously been receiving treatment. She had also tested positive for Ebola and was now in a coma. She was receiving I.V. fluids and oxygen support and was being monitored closely by the WHO doctors.
“We all hoped and prayed that she would come out of it. It was so difficult seeing her in that state. I could not bear it. She was my consultant, my boss, my teacher and my mentor. She was the imperial lady of First Consultants, full of passion, energy and competence. I imagined she would wake up soon and see that she was surrounded by her First Consultants family but sadly it was not to be,” Ada said.
Two days later, on August 16, 2014, Saturday, the WHO doctors came with some papers. Ada was informed that the result of her blood test was negative for Ebola virus. She was free to go home after being in isolation for exactly 14 days.
“I was so full of thanks and praise to God. I called my mother to get fresh clothes and slippers and come pick me. My husband couldn’t stop shouting when I called him. He was completely overwhelmed with joy,” Ebola survivor said.
However, she was not allowed to take any of her belongings back home. CD player, her research assistant, aka iPad, phones with touching messages and other items should have been destroyed. She said to herself: “I have life! I can always replace these items.”
Ada went for a chlorine bath, which was necessary to disinfect her skin from her head to toes. She compared this feeling to being baptized into a new life as Dr. Carolina, a WHO doctor from Argentina, poured the bucket of chlorinated water all over the cured woman. Ada wore a new set of clothes, following the strict instructions that no part of the clothes must touch the floor and the walls. Dr. Carolina monitored the process, making sure that instructions have been observed.
“I was led out of the bathroom and straight to the lawn to be united with my family, but first I had to cut the red ribbon that served as a barrier. It was a symbolic expression of my freedom. Everyone cheered and clapped. It was a little but very important ceremony for me. I was free from Ebola! I hugged my family as one who had been liberated after many years of incarceration. I was like someone who had fought death face to face and come back to the land of the living,” Dr. Igonoh confessed.
All the people had to pass through several stations of disinfection before they reached the car. Bleach and chlorinated water were sprayed on everyone’s legs at each station.
Ada’s parents and two brothers were under monitoring for 21 days and they completed the surveillance successfully. None of them came down with a fever. The house had been disinfected by Lagos State Ministry of Health soon after Dr. Igonoh was admitted the isolation centre.
“I thank God for shielding them from the plague. My recovery after discharge has been gradual but progressive. I thank God for the support of family and friends. I remember my colleagues who we lost in this battle. Dr. Adadevoh my boss, Nurse Justina Ejelonu, and the ward maid, Mrs. Ukoh, were heroines who lost their lives in the cause to protect Nigeria. They will never be forgotten,” she stated.
Ebola survivor commended the dedication of doctors from the WHO, Dr. David from Virginia, USA, who tried several times to convince her to specialize in infectious diseases, Dr. Carolina from Argentina who spoke so calmly and encouragingly with the patients, Mr. Mauricio from Italy who always offered Ada apples and gave the patients novels to read.
Dr. Igonoh’s special thanks go to the volunteer Nigerian doctors, matrons and cleaners who risked their lives to take care of the patients. According to her, the Government of Lagos State, the state and federal ministries of health deserve kudos as well for their swift efforts to contain the spread of the EVD.
“To all those prayed for me, I cannot thank you enough. And to my First Consultants family, I say a heartfelt thank you for your dedication and for your support throughout this very difficult period.
“I still believe in miracles. None of us in the isolation ward was given any experimental drugs or so-called immune boosters. I was full of faith yet pragmatic enough to consume as much ORS as I could even when I wanted to give up and throw the bottles away. I researched on the disease extensively and read accounts of the survivors. I believed that even if the mortality rate was 99%, I would be part of the 1% who survive,” the doctor declared.
From her experience she said that early detection and reporting to hospital was the key to patients’ survival. One should never hide the fact of contacting an Ebola carrier and developing of the symptoms.
“Regardless of any grim stories one may have heard about the treatment of patients in the isolation centre, it is still better to be in the isolation ward with specialist care, than at home where you and others will be at risk,” the doctor who won the battle against the virus said.
“I read that Dr. Kent Brantly, the American doctor who contracted Ebola in Liberia and was flown out to the United States for treatment was being criticized for attributing his healing to God when he was given the experimental drug, Zmapp. I don’t claim to have all the answers to the nagging questions of life. Why do some die and some survive? Why do bad things happen to good people? Where is God in the midst of pain and suffering? Where does science end and God begin? These are issues we may never fully comprehend on this side of eternity. All I know is that I walked through the valley of the shadow of death and came out unscathed,” Dr. Ada Igonoh concluded.
The Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), also known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever, is a severe condition caused by a virus from the Filoviridae family.
Known to be a condition that is transmitted from animals to humans, this virus spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person or animal. There is still no tested cure or globally-approved vaccine. The mortality rate of the virus in various separate outbreaks throughout the history reached up to 90%.
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