I don’t mean to be anal, but …
My father pointed out to me last night that ‘SARS’ is simply the syndrome. So if we are referring to the illness then we should call it ‘the SARS virus’. Just as AIDS isn’t actually the virus, just the syndrome representing it. Something to bear in mind the next time we refer to it.
More news snippets.
Do surgical masks help? As mentioned in the Straits Times recently, the N-95 is more effective than other masks, BUT the amount of particles it can filter also depends on which company manufactured it. Also, the coronavirus in question may be small enough to slip through anyway. Slate investigates.
Panicking doesn’t help.
I know it shouldn’t be a laughing matter, but it is sometimes amusing to see how people react when faced with the possible proximity of the virus.
My uncle’s colleague recently had to deal with a patient who told him he had just returned from China and had a cough. Following the rules the patient had to be quarantined at once. He was sent to an empty room, avoiding contact with anyone else, and an ambulance was called to take him to Tan Tock Seng hospital – which was where he should’ve gone in the first place!!
What didn’t help was that other patients outside in the waiting room saw the ambulance, and one ran out of the clinic, screaming hysterically and refusing to return.
Nothing else has happened so far in the clinic, and I hope it’ll stay that way. People of Singapore, please stay calm. There’s no point causing a panic that may be uncalled for.
In fact (and this is my own unscientic opinion but I just checked with dad and he says I’m right) if you panic and run about, won’t that lower your immunity level? My gym instructor told me that’s one reason why people are avoiding the gym.
So, I repeat: stay calm! Don’t cause a stampede. We’ll get through this together 🙂