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ELECTION FEVER, TODAY’S FEVER & OTHER FEVERS
The dust has almost settled in the USA after their historic election that scored many firsts. I choose to say no more lest I am misquoted again so let me dwell on where my vote counts. Now, the eyes of the whole world is focused on a much smaller country on the coast of West Africa, a country that has a great potential to be a super-power in its own right, a country that is a haven of peace in a chaotic region.
Ghana continues to baffle the world with our own rendition of democracy and despite all the hue and cry before elections, we always stand out tall after the exercise. There is anxiety, expectation and mixed emotions as we approach Election Day. I can bet on my last Ghana pesewa that some people have developed diarrhoea that does not seem to resolve with medication, others have known no sleep for weeks and a few others jump out of bed daily with a galloping heart and drenched in sweat. This is election fever and I doubt the thermometer will be of any help when it comes to this type of fever.
These days people who had never held a thermometer in their hands suddenly hold the mandate to give you access into a facility or not. Sometimes they obviously have no idea what they are doing but COVID-19 has made it necessary that screening may include temperature checking to determine if one has a fever. Fever is one of the first symptoms/signs that heralded the new era of COVID.
There is the other fever that is extremely common and “lives” with us all year round. This fever does not occur once every four years neither did it just explode unto the scene unannounced, instead it is one of the commonest complaints that healthcare professionals are faced with daily. Let me make one point crystal clear; fever is NOT a synonym for malaria and neither are all fevers due to malaria even if you live in a malaria endemic area like ours.
A fever also referred to as pyrexia means the body temperature is above the normal of 37 degrees Celsius. It is a warning that something out of the ordinary is going on in your body. Though fever in an adult may be uncomfortable, it is usually not dangerous unless it is extremely high but for young children and infants, a slightly elevated temperature may indicate a serious condition. In newborns and elderly, temperatures below normal should also be of concern.
Our temperature may vary due to our clothing, menstrual cycle, meals, level of activity and time of day, being lowest in the morning. Some of us may find that we are often slightly warmer than others. The degree of fever does not indicate the seriousness of the underlying condition. Sometimes a serious illness may cause a low fever whereas a condition of no significance may cause a high fever. This point has a lot in common with election fever where some people who appear most excited and do all the shouting may not even be registered voters.
Remember that you may take your temperature in different parts of your body such as your armpit, mouth, ears, anus and forehead and the temperatures vary slightly at each point.
CAUSES OF FEVER
You may be gripped by election fever for different reasons; some people love the power, others a desire to be on the winning team, a few have a genuine interest to help the country and hopefully the majority of people suffering from election fever want to see a change for the better. In the same vein “medical” fever may be caused by many conditions including:
- Infections
- Viruses such as those causing the common cold or bacteria causing throat, ear infections and diarrhoea. Malaria and HIV are also culprits. You do not need any prompting to remember that the novel corona virus may also cause a fever.
- Medication
- Antibiotics, blood pressure medications and drugs for treating seizures are examples. These may cause “drug fever” due to adverse reactions, withdrawal or by the drug’s design.
- Trauma or Injury
- Heart attack, stroke and burns fall into this broad category
- Immunisation
- Others
- Gout, osteoarthritis (wear and tear disease), thyroid disease and certain cancers.
Fever may be associated with sweating, shivering, headache, muscle aches and when the fever is extremely high one may develop hallucinations, confusion, convulsion and dehydration.
HEAD FOR THE HOSPITAL
If a baby has a temperature of 38.3 degrees Celsius or above, refuses food and drinks, is irritable and unresponsive you have no business staying at home.
An adult with a fever associated with severe headache, stiff painful neck, confusion, unusual sensitivity to light should be talking to a healthcare professional.
In this day if you have a fever with a headache and cough and any of the other symptoms that may point to COVID-19, do stay at home and seek the necessary assistance first by telephone. If that is not available to you then go to the nearest health facility.
Your doctor will ask you questions about your fever, examine you, probably request for some tests and then give you medication if required.
Sometimes your fever may last for more than 3 weeks and your doctor may not be able to determine the cause after extensive evaluation. This condition is referred to as pyrexia or fever of unknown origin (PUO).
LIFESTYLE MODIFICATIONS
- Drink plenty of fluids, it will control the associated risk of dehydration
- Rest – this will help you recover while the reduced physical activity also reduces the chance of increasing your temperature further
- Stay cool by dressing in light clothing and avoid hot areas
- Soak yourself in lukewarm water. This reduces the fever. Using cold water could cause shivering raising your temperature even higher.
- Reduce incidence of fever; by living a healthy lifestyle, keeping your surroundings clean and washing your hands thoroughly with soap and water (often), you will reduce the incidence of contracting some of the common causes of fever.
- Do not forget the other Ws; Wear your mask and Watch your distance (physical distancing) wherever you go especially as you go to cast your vote.
Remember no matter how high your election fever may be, only PEACE can ensure good health and development.
AS ALWAYS LAUGH OFTEN, ENSURE HYGIENE, WALK AND PRAY EVERYDAY AND REMEMBER IT’S A PRICELESS GIFT TO KNOW YOUR NUMBERS (blood sugar, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, BMI)
Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel
Health Essentials Ltd/Mobissel/St. Andrews Clinic
(www.healthessentialsgh.com)
*Dr. Essel is a Medical Doctor, holds an MBA and is ISSA certified in exercise therapy, fitness nutrition and corrective exercise.
Thought for the week –“fever persisting for more than three days may need a health professional’s care. Do not assume it is malaria.”
Note that ELECTION CAMPAIGNS & VOTING; NOT AN EXCUSE TO ABANDON COVID-19 PROTOCOLS
Reference:
- www.mayoclinic.com
- What is fever? By Peter Crosta for Medical News Today
A haircut I had about a week ago didn’t go down well with many. Someone quite close to my heart saw it, examined it critically and felt dizzy.
“What’s this?” she proceeded to ask me.
“An international hairdo,” I replied.
She was disgusted, in fact disappointed. The problem with the haircut is that the style is neither Punk, Tokyo Joe nor Show Your Back. If anything, it is a combination of all—and I liked it, for a change.
It was when I bounded downtown that someone called me and enquired whether I was no longer a journalist. He said I looked like a well-fed Warrant Officer.
“Class One or Class Two?” I asked.
Another studied my head as if he was studying physical geography and pronounced that I looked like a boxer who can throw dangerous punches. Still, someone was of the opinion that the haircut didn’t quite fit me, but admitted that I looked like a prosperous merchant.
Commendation
I remember some three months ago, I had a haircut that made two girls fall in love with me. In spite of the fact that the barber was not a graduate, the cut was such that they couldn’t help admiring it. One of them actually ‘checked out’ the style and commended the barber.
The other was more bent on the ‘love matter’ but I was too busy to give her any attention. LOVE!
I was reminded of this when I viewed a premier showing of the latest Sikaman film titled THE POWER OF LOVE. The film kept me thinking. Some of us have long forgotten about what it is like to be head-over-heels in love. When we were students, we had such experiences because there was nothing doing anyway.
We were either learning how stylishly to smoke ‘jot’ or how romantically to fall in love. Anyhow, I was intrigued by this latest movie because of the way love unlimited was portrayed on screen. It took my memory back many years to relive those youthful days when we felt we’d really die if jilted by our lovers.
The storyline of THE POWER OF LOVE is really an exciting one. The combination of love, treachery and intrigue made me feast my eyes intently on the screen, unbelieving the extent the force of love can reach.
Ama and Afua are good friends. But when it comes to matters of the heart, they have different tastes; Ama is content with only her boyfriend (a student) and Afua samples the bigwigs around town. Afua, not satisfied with the shots in town, wants Ama’s boyfriend Joe in addition. She lies to Joe that Ama has often been picked by a man on four-wheels, whereupon Joe dismisses Ama and takes on Afua.
Ama doesn’t realise that it is her best friend Afua who is destroying her relationship with Joe until she catches her having sex with him. She collapses and goes out of her mind from the broken heart. But before then, she had been made pregnant by Joe.
Having escaped from a psychiatric hospital, she roams town murmuring Joe’s name. Heavily pregnant now, she espies Joe boarding a mini bus and runs towards him. Joe, seeing her approaching, quickly disembarks and takes off.
Ama pursues him furiously, and he runs to his home where he finds his bosom friend Frank making love to Afua. He immediately realises the treachery of Afua who instigated him to leave Ama.
He intends leaving the home in disgust and meets mad Ama at the door and embraces her despite her madness. Instantly, she regains her sanity.
Love indeed heals the wounds of the mind and it is the greatest positive force in the world. Incidentally, the greatest negative force is hatred.
Greatest force
Now coming to talk about love, I reiterate it is the greatest force imaginable. That is why a man will butcher his rival to death if he catches him climbing his wife without asking permission; and a woman will go mad if jilted.
It is also for this reason that a young boy who is scared stiff of cemeteries and under normal circumstances would not dare go near one, will this time walk boldly through a cemetery at midnight if that is the only way to his lover’s abode.
The Bible describes love for our neighbours as the surest way to heaven: Love thy neighbour as thyself.
Unfortunately, what Ghanaians are more interested and skilful in is loving the opposite sex. Romance under the cover of darkness is what we understand love to be all about. When it comes to loving our fellow human beings, we are found wanting.
People hate others just because they are of another tribe and do not speak the same native language. Too much grudge-bearing that does not augur well for national development.
War in Liberia, carnage in Rwanda are the results of the absence of love for one’s fellow being. If everybody could express a little bit of love for his fellow being irrespective of tribe, race, politics or religion, Sikaman—and indeed, the world—will be a more habitable place.
This article was first published on Saturday, October 29, 1994
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“Sir,” Ms. Odame said when David Asante answered the call, “my name is Victoria Odame. I’m a teacher at Research School in Koforidua. I would like to come and see you concerning a student called Sarah.”
“Okay, madam. I would be very glad to meet you. How can I make your trip easier?”
“I was going to join a bus to Accra.”
“Here’s what we will do. Take a taxi and ask them to bring you to Accra. I will speak to the driver, give him the directions, and pay him when you get here.”
The taxi stopped in front of the house. The gate opened, and the driver moved to the long driveway and stopped.
“What a beautiful house,” he said.
David and Adoma came out to meet them. Adoma paid the driver as David and Sarah stared at each other.
“Please come in and sit down,” Adoma invited. She served them water.
“You are welcome,” Adoma continued. “We have been waiting anxiously since you called this morning. So please, let’s hear you.”
Before she could open her mouth, Sarah rose, moved to David, hugged him, and sat on his lap. They both broke into tears. Adoma and Ms. Odame also broke into tears.
“Sorry, madam,” David said. “This whole episode has been a very difficult one. But let’s do the proper thing. Let’s hear you first, and I will also speak. I’m sure we need to answer some questions immediately.”
“Okay, sir. I have been taking an interest in Sarah because, although she’s brilliant academically, she seemed to be troubled. Following my discussions with her and some whispers I had been hearing, I went to Aboso Senior High School and spoke to your former colleague, Mr. Hanson. He told me that you were an exemplary teacher who was loved by all, and he also told me about the unfortunate events that caused you to leave for Germany. So I returned to Koforidua with the view to finding the appropriate means of helping to solve this problem.”
“Great. Ms. Odame, I have to thank you for finally helping us to solve this problem. Now, let me state the facts. This is what happened.
“Gladys and I met and got married whilst we were both teachers in the school. Some months into our marriage, she told me that she needed to spend some days with her parents, and I agreed.
“It turned out that she was actually spending time in a hotel with her ex-boyfriend, Simon. This happened again after Sarah was born. I got wind of this and told her that I was no longer interested in the marriage.
“I started preparing to travel to Germany. She pleaded for forgiveness, but I stood my ground. Then she told me that she would punish me for rejecting her.
“She came out later to say that Sarah was not my child, but Simon’s. She went and hid her somewhere, obviously expecting that I would fight to take my child. I was actually going to do that, but my parents advised me that it was almost impossible to win such a fight.
“They advised that, difficult as it sounded, I should leave the child with her because she would come back to me eventually. I have absolutely no problem taking care of you, Sarah. I am taking care of quite a number of kids who are not mine. So that is what happened. My hands were tied. I have been trying to find out how you are doing.
“I kept hearing that you were doing well at school. I also heard that Gladys and her husband were having problems, but I kept hoping that my daughter would at least be okay till it was possible for me to go for her.”
“Sarah, now you have met your dad. You will be free to—”
“I’m not going anywhere!” she declared as she held on to him.
“You don’t have to worry about that, Sarah,” Adoma said. “We have been looking forward to the day you come home. This is your home. Now, you have to meet your siblings.” She called Abrefi and Adaawa.
“Girls, we told you that you have a sister who would join us anytime. Now here she is.”
“Sarah?” Abrefi asked.
“Yes,” Adoma replied. The girls hugged her and took her away.
“Now,” David said, “I think it is time to call Madam Gladys.” He dialed the number.
“My name is David Asante. I’m here in my house with my daughter Sarah. I hear you have told her all sorts of crazy stories about me. I could make life very difficult for you, but I won’t.
“You are your own worst enemy. I don’t think you should be expecting her anytime soon. What do you say?”
Gladys stayed silent for over a minute, then cut the line.
“Food is ready,” Adoma announced. “Everybody, please come to the table.”
Sarah chatted excitedly with her siblings as Adoma and David spoke with Ms. Odame. She kept staring at her father.
“Now, Ms. Odame, after you have brought such joy into our home, should we allow you to go back to Koforidua today, or should we wait till we are ready to release you? I could call your husband and ask permission.
“And please don’t tell me you didn’t bring anything for an overnight stay. There are several supermarkets around here. We can fix that problem quickly.”
“I will beg you to release me. Now that I have been so warmly welcomed here, I already feel part of this home. Koforidua is not that far away, so I will visit often.”
“Well, let’s see what the kids have to say. Ladies, shall I release Ms. Odame to go back to Koforidua?”
“No!” they shouted, and all broke into laughter.
“Ms. Odame, I will have mercy on you. But we are going to do something to make it easy for you to visit us. My wife wants to show you something. Please follow her.”
Adoma led her to the driveway as the others followed. They stopped in front of the car.
“This is a Toyota Corolla 1600. It is very reliable and good on petrol consumption. We are giving this to you in appreciation of your help in getting our daughter back to us.
“And here in this envelope is a little contribution to help you with maintenance. And here in this other envelope is a gift to help with your children’s school fees.”
As she stood, stunned, and stared from the car to the envelopes, David put his hand around his family.
“Let’s leave her to take a look at her car. Ms. Odame, one of my drivers will drive you to Koforidua and leave your car with you. We are waiting inside.”
By Ekow de Heer
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