By Bena Nekesa
In the tranquil backdrop of an Easter break, an unexpected visitor knocked on the door of my life, bringing with it a whirlwind of discomfort and uncertainty. Little did I know that a routine visit to a loved one in need would plunge me into the depths of a relentless epidemic—one that would leave me grappling with pain, fear and the fiery glow of red eyes. 

I was among the Uganda Ministry of Health’s reported 7,500 cases of red eye in three weeks, starting in mid-March. 

In other countries, such as the United States, the condition is called pink eye, or conjunctivitis.  According to the USA-based Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, when small blood vessels in a membrane called the conjunctiva become swollen and irritated, the whites of the eyes appear reddish or pink. Red or pink eyes are most often caused by a viral infection.

My encounter with the red eye epidemic was a journey to recovery marked by unexpected twists and agonizing symptoms related to a condition I hadn’t previously known. 

It started with my right eye that behaved like something was moving in it.  While I didn’t feel any pain, I knew something was wrong. I shared my suspicious red eye condition with my sisters and mother. 

 “It seems you are admiring red eyes,” my sister, Gorretti, joked initially. 

I laughed.  My discolored eyes certainly were not as serious as the health of my grandmother, just home from a four-night Mbale Referral Hospital stay due to breathing problems. At that, my family traced my optical condition, along with some of theirs, to the hospital. 

My cousin, Paul, got red eyes at the hospital and transmitted it to my mother. Both complained of having something stuck in their eyes, trying to get others to blow it out.  Those trying to extract something from another’s swollen, watery red eyes, contracted conjunctivitis. For them, light was painful. While washing our hands, my sisters and I cried about their condition. 

Then, I became part of the epidemic. Not only did the 10-year countrywide census delay me from Uganda Christian University (UCU) classes, but now my pain and limited vision kept me from doing much of anything, including remote learning. Two little sisters, Winnie and Emily, that shared a bed with our mother, surprisingly didn’t get it. 

Mom and I got some drugs — Ciprofloxacin, Amoxicillin, Penicillin, Ciprofloxacin, Tinidazole and the eye ointment – to resolve the medical condition.  It took us a week to recover completely, and after that we were all healed. I thanked God, and even reported back to campus with my studies.

At UCU’s main campus, some students also experienced the red eye epidemic. Over 200 students were treated at Allan Galpin Health Center during the three-week period. 

“My red eyes are so painful,” said William Ingabat,  a student of Bachelor’s of Human Resource Management , who was treated with eye ointment at the Mukono campus Allan Galpin Health Center. “I was able to bare the pain as I even sat for my examination.” 

Some victims were washing eyes with urine – a treatment not recommended because these body fluids are not sterile. 

Dr. Christine Wako, working at Alan Galpin, said medical professions educate against using a bacteria-laden urine flush. 

She described some of the cases she encountered at Galpin:  “Students come here complaining about one eye first, then the other eye coming later. The recent red eyes were different from the ones in the past. The current ones were healing in four days and affecting anybody that got in contact with the effect person without swelling unnecessarily and being watery like the ones in the past.”

The treatment offered at Allan Galpin included Betamethasone-Neomyan eye drops with preventive washing of eyes/face with clean water regularly, regular hand washing and avoiding handshakes. 

I was fortunate that I treated my eyes earlier than others, but there was stigma. Many people will not want to be near you with fear of contradicting the epidemic. 

In my family, almost everyone healed within a week.  For some of my relatives, it took them only three days. 

Red eyes are real and not a joking matter. Stay safe by washing your hands routinely, avoiding handshakes and maintaining other proper hygiene.

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