10 provinces affected by the Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquake suffered great damage. It was learned that the risk of epidemic disease emerged as well as the search and rescue efforts in the earthquake area. Inadequate hygiene conditions are preparing the environment against many infectious diseases. prof. Dr. Serhan Sakarya warned against epidemic diseases that can be transmitted in earthquake regions.
VERY HIGH RISK OF COMMUNICABLE DISEASES SUCH AS CHOLERA AND TYPHO
prof. Dr. Serhan Sakarya stated that the risk of highly contagious diseases such as cholera, typhoid fever, dysentery, scabies and lice is high due to the risks such as the lack of hygienic conditions in the region, bad housing conditions, living in groups, problems in the supply of drinking water, and the mixing of city sewers with water. prof. Dr. Sakarya said, “If these diseases, such as cholera, become widespread and are not intervened in the first 6 hours, it can cause very serious deaths. Immediate action must be taken,” he said.
A VERY SERIOUS INCREASE IS SEEN IN DIARRAH
prof. Dr. Serhan Sakarya stated that there is a very serious increase in diarrhea in children and adults, according to the information he obtained from his colleagues in the region, “Not only diarrhea, but also parasitic diseases such as scabies and lice are seen in people who survived the earthquake because they did not have good shelter opportunities, lived in bad conditions and very close to each other. Very normal. People cannot wash. We are also getting information that there is an increase in these,” he said.
MUST BOIL THE WATER BEFORE DRINKING
Underlining that the first thing the authorities should do is to set up a large unit with a tent or container, Prof. Dr. Sakarya said, “This unit should have bathrooms, toilets, dining halls and areas where it can meet its other needs. We now know that there is a serious problem with drinking water. If citizens can, boil the water and consume it that way. Care should be taken when consuming raw vegetables. If raw foods are not cleaned well, it is one of the ways of transmission of diseases. Citizens can go to water supply from other places due to the lack of water, but it is not known how reliable that water is.
“CHOLERA AND COVID CAN EXPLODE”
Stating that there is a great risk of diseases such as hepatitis A, cholera, typhoid fever and dysentery, which can pass through digestion and cause epidemics, such as hepatitis A, due to the lack of water in the region, the risk of contamination of the infrastructure, namely the sewage, to the water resources. Dr. Sakarya said, “If cholera, for example, becomes widespread and is not intervened within the first 6 hours, we may lose 30 percent of the patients, depending on the type. In such cases, the fluid losses of the patients are very intense. People who are not well fed and well housed cannot tolerate it. These diseases can also be transmitted through food. In addition, there will be an increase in influenza, which can be transmitted by breathing, and more importantly, covid, among people who stay in closed places collectively. We are talking about about 15 million people affected by the earthquake. The people living in the city need to be sent to the regions where there is no destruction,” he said.
(UAV)