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Beware of spreading flu

(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-09-15 07:54

As the new school term begins, campuses have turned out to be the most vulnerable link in the nation's defense against the A (H1N1) influenza. In spite of high-profile pre-school screening, schools continue to be the main venues of infection.

In fact, all the latest cases of community-level infection have been reported from schools. On the one hand, this is a warning that the epidemic situation is gloomier than we anticipated. On the other hand, it challenges us to rethink the efficacy of current precautions. They are either defective by design, or not implemented as required.

Sources with the Ministry of Education disclosed negligence in some schools where infection was reported. That is cause for worry.

Related readings:  Flu claims 13th, 14th victims aged 8, 23  Mainland A(H1N1) flu cases top 9,100  A(H1N1) flu outbreak reported in Heilongjiang University

Since the H1N1 influenza is widely believed to be entering a second wave of infection, and the majority of our people are vulnerable to it, our only sensible response should be to redouble preventive efforts. Given the particular vulnerability of schools, school authorities must make sure no blind spots are left unattended in the precautions observed.

The State Council has issued an order for government offices, large firms and professional institutions to work out emergency response plans. That may be the only way to ensure that the highly contagious illness does not cause major disruption of normal life. With the rapid increase in local infection and manifestation of severe symptoms, we may have to prepare for more difficult scenarios.

To complicate things further, the infection has already spread to the inadequately equipped western regions and rural areas. That the country's epidemic control has been so far so good has a lot to do with the relative concentration of infected people being in the major cities. For quite sometime in the beginning, the infection was limited to "imported" cases in cities like Beijing. But, not any more. Every province, municipality and autonomous region has reported cases of infection.

And, the country is soon to take an eight-day break. We are expecting a record number of travelers, more than 200 million, some say, to hit the road. Every past "golden week" saw the country's public transport network packed to capacity. While holding the promise of record profit for the tourism industry, this coming national holiday season will constitute a daunting test for epidemic control preparedness.

Considering the less-than-serious current symptoms, it may be impossible to make people avoid travel during the "golden week." Not to say that the authorities have been racking their heads to stimulate domestic spending.

The government has also called on the transport and tourism departments to prepare emergency response plans. But would they adopt the same rigorous screening as in schools?

The authorities have decided to provide vaccines for all those participating in the National Day parade. But they are a very small number compared with the army of vacationers.

(China Daily 09/15/2009 page8)