The Pulse of the People on Ebola Threat
Tonight, Carnival Magic is heading towards Galveston, Texas. But there were hours of high anxiety when news spread like wildfire that there was a possible threat of Ebola. We took to the streets earlier today and we got a sense from Belizeans if they have been following up on the deadly disease.
Resident # 1
“I know it is a disease that they don’t have a cure for as yet. And I think we take it for granted that it can’t reach and it is knocking on our borders and we need to do something about it.”
Duane Moody
“Have you been able to make your family aware of what it in and to be on alert?”
Resident # 1
“Well from what I think, I don’t think Belizeans on a whole know much about it, but as much as I gather, I try to inform my wife and my family members and we try to keep up to date.”
Resident
Resident # 2
“That wah kill we fast. Like half ah we might dead dah Belize cause it is something serious weh woulda come dah Belize for real.”
Duane Moody
“From what you’ve heard about it, do you think that Belize is capable to deal with it?”
Resident # 2
“No Belize can’t deal with it, noh even Karl Heusner can deal with it. So it wah kill we fast, fast and hurry. So the best thing fi he do dah send dehn people back make that go from wi cause Belize can’t handle it. Yo got AIDS and yo can’t cure it, so that yo wah can’t cure it.”
Resident # 3
“As far as I know, I think I saw it on the movie and I think that it is a very bad sickness. Seeing it at that time, I think it killed out a whole village of people. All the nurses, the doctors, the nuns; everybody that was trying to help didn’t survive. So it is a very serious sickness we are looking at.”
Duane Moody
“Now there are no cases in Belize, but if it does enter into our country, do you feel that we are able to deal with it, we would be able to deal with it?”
Resident # 3
“I don’t think so. I don’t think so because we always have problems in the hospital…we don’t have medication. We don’t even know where to start to deal with this kinda sickness. So I don’t think we will be able to fight this and if this come to Belize, I think these guys shooting each other with guns, Ebola is going to kill us out like that. So we won’t need any more guns because you would be so gone.”
Resident # 4
Resident
“I think that is a very bad disease and I think if you on a tour ship to come to Belize or to go to any country, you should be screened before you get on a ship. Everyone that gets on a ship, they should know if something is wrong with them before they board a ship.”
Duane Moody
“That aside sir, do you know the symptoms of Ebola and what it is all about?”
Resident # 4
“It is a deadly disease and it kills yo real fast. It is worse than AIDS and it got all kinds of symptoms: throwing up, fever, high fever and stuff like that. That’s all I know about it.”
Duane Moody
“Have you been able to share this knowledge with other persons given the fact that there was a scare earlier of these persons with the cruise ship?”
Resident # 4
“It is not anything to be scared about. If you are not having sex with anybody or fluid to fluid with somebody, there is nothing to worry about. If somebody has it and you start to have that kind of behavior, then you have something to worry about. But it is not something in the air and you can catch it.”
