By Rebecca Ampah
A Family Physician Specialist at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Dr. Ernest Anim-Opare, has clarified that typhoid fever is not spiritual.
He said the illness affects one’s brain but “has nothing to do with the spirit; it has everything to do with lack of treatment of the fever from the beginning”.
Speaking on the GTV Breakfast Show, he stated that individuals infected with typhoid fever who do not seek proper medical treatment for a long time can lead to other infections in other organs of the body, such as the brain (typhoid psychosis), which comes with symptoms like confusion and agitation, which may look as though they are possessed, but that is not so.
According to the Doctor, the fever is based on one’s body make-up; hence, “taking medications without any proper medical advice is generally not advisable.”
Dr Ernest added that cerebral malaria has symptoms similar to that of typhoid psychosis; therefore, people infected need to “stay away from taking any medication” because the medication might not be favourable.
He further stated that, after treatment of typhoid fever, the anti-bodies can stay for a while and this is where most patients visit different hospitals for treatment, making the infection worse. “Moving from one hospital to the other is not a good way to treat typhoid,” he advised.
He advised the public to put in place all the necessary measures to avoid getting infected, especially through food and water, because, the best way is through prevention.
