SARS?!
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. Its a name that Singaporeans have come to know in a short span of a couple of weeks. Click here to visit WHO’s website.
It started with news of outbreaks reported from Guangdong in China and Hong Kong. With the advent of air travel, it has spread rapidly to Singapore through human carriers. About a hundred people have been known to be infected, with a few deaths so far.
Its a highly infectious disease which is airborne. It spreads rapidly, and the news coverage has caused quite a lot of concern among the public here. Health workers are now using face masks as a precaution against infection, and some members of the public are following suite.
When the Ministry of Education closed schools for 10 days, the newspapers finally projected the disease into headline news. The epidemic borrowed some space from the coverage of the Iraq war, which had monopoly of the papers here for at least a week. Not only the schools, but several other public gatherings have been cancelled.
I was in church this morning, and the diocese had issued some precautionary directives to worshippers. Dispensation of holy water is stopped, as well as holding hands during prayers. In addition, the congregation should not receive the Eucharist with their tongues as well.
My parents have postponed plans to visit Singapore because of the virus infections. They were due to come back from KL this week, but delayed their plans indefinitely. I don’t blame them - if a killer virus was unleashed, I’d probably feel safer in Taiping.