The Royal Family

Meghan Has A Subtle Way To Avoid The Zika Virus In Fiji And Tonga

When the news about Meghan’s pregnancy was announced, many fans were surprised to learn she would still be going to Fiji and Tonga with Prince Harry.

Both Fiji and Tonga have had recent outbreaks of Zika virus. So, the Australian Department of Health recommends that pregnant women should delay non-essential travel to places affected by the disease.

Still, Meghan alongside Harry touched down in Fiji two days ago as their 16-day royal tour continues.

But, she has been using a subtle trick to minor the risk of contracting the illness. She is doing that by carefully selecting her wardrobe and wearing long sleeves during her stay.

Meghan Markle

 

Head of the Department of Disease Control at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Professor James G. Logan, said: “Wearing long sleeves and baggy clothes will help.

“Mosquitos can even bite through jeans so if the clothing is loose it’s much harder for the mosquito to bite.

“Wearing light-colored clothing can help as these mosquitoes are often attracted to dark clothing. It also helps you spot them if you see a dark mosquito on a light piece of clothing.”

Meghan has swapped in her fitted wardrobe and she wore a looser tailored white Zimmerman dress and a billowing blue cape gown by Safiyaa when they arrive.

Also, she wore another loose outfit for her last appearance. She stepped out in a ruffled pink printed dress from the bohemian-inspired label Figure.

Meghan Markle Fiji

Zika is a virus that can cause serious problems during pregnancy. It is a mosquito-transmitted infection. If a pregnant woman is infected with Zika virus, she can pass it to the baby.

Zika infection during pregnancy causes a birth defect called microcephaly and other brain problems, blindness, deafness, and other defects.

The palace said in a statement to the Daily Mirror: “The Duke and Duchess sought medical advice about the risk of the Zika virus on the islands of Fiji and Tonga and there will be no change to the planned schedule.”

However, Meghan won’t attend the Fiji War Memorial or Colo-i-Suva Forest Park because of the higher risk of mosquitos.

The World Health Organisation classifies Tonga as a “category 1” risk country while Fiji is considered a “Category 2” country for the virus.

harry and meghan

The WHO defines the categories as: “Category 1: Area with the new introduction of Zika virus since 2015 or area where the virus has been re-introduced, with ongoing transmission.

“Category 2: Area either with evidence of Zika virus circulation before 2015 OR with ongoing transmission but the area does not satisfy the criteria for category 1 or 3. Areas in category 2 may also experience an outbreak of Zika.”

READ NEXT: Why Meghan Left Fiji Engagement Just Minutes After Arriving?

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