Peninsula Daily News
news sources
VICTORIA — A woman who worked for the Canadian Red Cross in Guinea and returned home Oct. 2 is in contact with health officials daily for guidance in case she becomes ill with the Ebola virus.
The chance is unlikely, Gwen Eamer, 28, told the Victoria Times-Colonist for its Sunday edition, because she worked in Red Cross communications in the Guinean capital of Conakry and didn’t come into physical contact with people because of strict health precautions.
“I went 28 days without touching another human being, other than an occasional fist bump,” Eamer said.
“We didn’t shake hands. We didn’t come within a meter and a half of people.”
Almost 4,500 people have died of Ebola since December last year, according to the World Health Organization, with the vast majority of them in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.
Eamer’s public relations job was to share stories of what’s happening and coordinate with international media and donors. She also set up information centers to educate West Africans about Ebola.
“Education is a huge component of what needs to be done on the ground there,” she said.
When she flew back to Canada on Oct. 2, Eamer underwent a detailed check by airport and border officials in several countries to ensure that she was not carrying Ebola.
Eamer continues to monitor her temperature daily.
