SMS a Success in Disease Warnings

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Revealed today in Australia, was the success of using SMS (simple message service,) more commonly known as texting, to warn people that they had been exposed to an inexorably deadly disease.

Speed is the key to many contagious diseases, which can be airborne; incubate and sprint through a population.  During the hospitalization of one young girl in Sydney with meningococcal disease, 14 of her friends (whom she'd partied with the night before,) were sent text messages by a doctor.

These people were reported to have been extremely happy to receive the SMS and of the 14 people, 9 actually checked the CDC fact sheet.

My own son contracted meningitis when he was just two years old - and I thought I was going to die watching his pain and feeling my own.  He slipped into a coma and was placed in a glass isolation room. My husband and I spent every night sleeping in the hospital and all day by his side, until he finally awoke and could recognize us again.

Most of us understand that there is fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord - this is what becomes infected during the course of the disease and may also cause serious blood infections.

Today's estimates place infection at 1,000 - 2,000 people in the U.S. each year, while death at 10-15% of that figure occurs. While my son was in his coma, we were told that we could not expect the child we had, but to embrace the child we had now.

The doctor also said that we were very lucky to have him alive but that certain .....residual conditions could be expected.  He had to undergo neurology tests for about 3 years after that.

• 11 - 19% of those that make it, may lose an arm or a leg, or both;
• Others become deaf;
  
• Other neural problems could present with loss of motor skills;
  
• Mentally retardation;
  
• Ongoing seizures or strokes.

My son was one of the lucky ones.

My boy is now a man and is only very slightly deaf in one ear.  He caught the disease when playing with other children, who might have caught it from children even further away.

The use of SMS back in the 70s might have helped many children and their friends live, rather - than die.

Who is at Risk?

Though it is most prevalent in babies, everyone and anyone can contract Meningococcal disease. If you're eager to read and understand more about this deadly infection, you have the option to do so at Web MD and other medical sources online.

There is also an article you can read at the Centers for Disease Control. (CDC)

Who knew that your cell phone could be one of the greatest tools to arrest the speed of something so deadly?

Knowledge is a wonderful thing

Sources:

News.com.au

Deadly Infectios Disease Warning by Text
by Jane Metikovec

Web MD
Meningococcal Vaccine: What You Need to Know

Image Source:

News.com.au
Text Trial
by Troy Bendeich