Hi folks!
Today we’ll talk about a serious topic. We are all concerned about the so-called Zika Virus. So, let’s see some questions and answers to clarify and reassure us on the subject. The first question is:
Q: What is this Zika everybody is talking about?
A: Well guys, Zika is a virus transmitted by the Aedes Aegypti mosquito.
Q: What are the symptoms?
A: Well, the department of health said about 80% of the people have no symptoms at all, but in some cases the symptoms are headache, low fever, joint pain or red dots on the skin.
Q: How long does it take to recover in case of symptoms?
A: As we have seen, 80% of the cases do not realize the symptoms. Usually, some of the symptoms are felt for a week maximum.
(A week?? Only That???)
Q: What is Microcephaly?
A: Microcephaly is a rare neurological condition in which an infant’s head and brain are significantly smaller than the heads and brains of other children of the same age and sex.
(Yes, I have read that because this is really hard to remember)
Q: What is the relationship between the Zika Virus and the Microcephaly?
A: Well, Although it’s not scientificaly proven, surveys suggest that the virus is responsible for the development of microcephaly if the mother is infected during pregnancy.
Q: Do all infected mothers have children with microcepghaly?
A: No. Brazilian authorities do not have an estimate number of pregnant women infected with Zika whose child had mycrocephaly. However, the estimate is low. In colombia there were 2.824 cases of pregnant women with Zika and no cases of mycrocephaly were diagnosed.
Q: Do I have more chances of getting the disease as a woman?
A: No. No pattern was determined to contamination, whether women, men, children or elderly.
Q: Can I transmit the virus through bodily fluids like semen, saliva or breast milk?
A: The only evidence so far is that breast milk does not transmit the virus. On other fluids nothing has been proven. Even so we recommend you use condoms.
(If it were true, with the numbers of kisses we had in carnaval, the contaminations would be too damn high)
Q: How can I protect myself?
A: The use of repellents is very useful. It is recommended to apply on the exposed areas and over your clothes too.
In short, if you’re coming to Brazil, and you are not pregnant and do not intend to be, you don’t need to worry too much. By the way, one of our teachers had Zika and he is totally recoverd by now. To prove that, I will give him a kiss.
Pablo: Yo bro, what’s up?
Igor: What’s up, dude?
So, come and share kisses in Brazil!
BBC – O que é falso e o que é verdadeiro nos boatos sobre zika virus
BBC – As perguntas ainda sem resposta sobre o surto de zika e microcefalia
BBC – Transmissão de zika por beijo não está comprovada, diz infectologista
El País – Estudo reforça a relação do zika virus e a microcefalia em bebês
Saude.gov – Combate Aedes
Click on the links below to see more related Dicas
Vocabulário médico – Iniciante
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