Asalaam Alaikum/Hi all
As some of you know I am meant to be flying to Pakistan on the 22nd of this month and will be staying there for 3 weeks.
I did a post about the holiday possibly being cancelled due to dengue fever: see my post here.
With less than 2 weeks to go the tickets have not been cancelled and we are shopping on the basis that we are going.
Hubby isn’t very helpful and is saying that he is going to go whatever. I have said I will be thinking about it seriously before I decide for definite. He is not pressurising me and will respect whatever I decide.
However, I am being made to feel by some that I am paranoid and over reacting. I don’t know why but I am feeling very nervous about going and have a gut feeling that this is a very bad idea.
Some family members are trying to reassure me that there is nothing to worry about. Apparently there are no known cases in our area. However the city that is worst hit is just 2 hours away and ummm helllo…mosquitoes CAN fly can’t they?!
Hubby’s friend has got hold of some medicine that apparently helps the white blood cells…..the virus binds to white blood cells and enters them.
LIKE HELL am I going eat some random medicine and give it to my daughter. Last time I did that I fainted at the top of the stairs and fell DOWN the stairs. I think people thought I was the battered wife when they saw the cut above my eye!!
I am also being told that because it is now getting colder, the weather will kill off the mosquitoes. Ok, that may be so, but that is going to take a while.
I have been researching for the last couple of nights again as it is worrying me to the point that I am having sleepless nights. The sentence in bold below is worrying me:
Typically, people infected with dengue virus are asymptomatic (80%) or only have mild symptoms such as an uncomplicated fever. Others have more severe illness (5%), and in a small proportion it is life-threatening. The incubation period (time between exposure and onset of symptoms) ranges from 3–14 days, but most often it is 4–7 days. Therefore, travelers returning from endemic areas are unlikely to have dengue if fever or other symptoms start more than 14 days after arriving home. Children often experience symptoms similar to those of the common cold and gastroenteritis (vomiting and diarrhea), but are more susceptible to the severe complications.
(taken from Wikipedia)
And another article which was written on 11th September:
Dengue In Lahore, Dengue Fever Mosquito:The latest deaths bring the total number of people killed by dengue virus in the city to 10. Some 539 people have been confirmed afflicted with dengue virus in the city over the last 24 hours. On the other hand, at least 350 policemen, who mostly perform duties outdoors, have been affected by the virus. Official statistics put the total of number of dengue patients in Punjab is over 6,000. However, it is feared the actual number of patients is higher. As many as 142 patients were diagnosed with dengue in the private hospitals of Lahore in the last 24 hours.
I am terrified that I am exposing my only child to an unnecessary risk. But everyone is telling me to go and just be careful, that the risk isn’t very high. That we just need to make sure we are covered in mosquito repellent at night. To make sure the room is clear of mosquitoes at night. And apparently by the time we go most of the mosquitoes will be dying if not dead.
If I don’t go then people will say I am not going on purpose and am an evil daughter in law (not that I care what people think!)
The percentages for serious cases are low.
And then I think about the whole uproar about the swine flu in the UK. It never got as serious as everyone thought.
Well anyway I am going to see my Dr on Wednesday so will discuss my concerns with him and see what he says.
Thank you for reading….I just needed to get my thoughts about this off my chest before it got too much!!
well i think the islamic way is that one should never enter or leave an area where there is an epidemic or plague… and well as far as i know, the dengue mosquito bites in daytime from sunrise to sunset so all those morteins and mosquito net in the night are useless…if i were you i wouldnt risk myself just for the sake of proving to be a good daughter-in-law 🙂
best of luck 🙂
Your right with cooler weather the mosqitos will be dying off. May Allah keep you and your family safe Ameen.
To answer the title, no, you are not being over cautious!
Thank you for your comments!
Ameen Noor!
@Muhammed: my in laws would not say anything, it is the rest of the community….but like I said I don't care what people think. 🙂
Seeing my doctor later on today so will get his opinion on it inshAllah.
I like it dear and shear to other friends naat Sharif
Assalamu Aleykum,
If I were you I would definitely seek advices from some good doctor who knows about the Dengue Fever epidemic and the current situation in Pakistan.
I don't think you are being over cautious either!
Salaam,
I am flying to India in couple of weeks and the Dengue fever is the recent news maker in Kerala too. But somehow I am not worried on this may be because I have been living in India for almost 26 years (and in US for last one year) and these epidemics come and go. Usually, when we live there, we don't have much choice on this other than taking all care from our side… whatever we can, rest is in Allah's hands. And I totally understand why people in your community feel it isn't a big deal, because they are not so used to life in EU or US where hygiene matters and mostly ppl lived in these countries will not be much exposed to such happenings. I can understand your feelings, but they may not.
So better you take an opinion from you doc and plan your trip. Your baby may not be used to mosquitos flying around and even her body may not be having a strong immunity system as we see in people there…(because of lower exposure to disease), so better to have a second thought. 🙂