Dear Consumerline,
I read with interest your article in the April 8 issue. I am forwarding an article to you on some good news about the virus (also forwarded by my schoolmate in Hong Kong). Here goes:
There is a dangerous virus spreading through Hong Kong and some parts of Asia. It is not atypical pneumonia. It is panic. All outbreaks of any high-profile pathogen or disease (UK’s Mad Cow Disease) have two major effects. A tiny proportion of people are hit by the disease itself. A large number of people, organizations and entire industry sectors are hit by the panic that accompanies it.
Yes, you should be careful and take all precautions as advised by doctors, but no, you don’t have to panic.
An increase in the number of SARS patients doesn’t mean people on every apartment block have it. The virus’ growth pattern shows a tendency to remain tightly clustered – for example, in the Prince of Wales Hospital and Amoy Gardens.
Ninety-nine people die of flu every day in the US alone. Of this, about 30 die of acute respiratory problems. In Hong Kong, 16 people have died over a month.
In any large city of this size, there are hundreds of pneumonia sufferers at any time, of which several dozens have some form of atypical pneumonia.
Yes, the virus does mutate. But this doesn’t necessarily mean it continually gets more virulent. Scientists note that as SARS spreads, it is significantly weakening from carrier to carrier.
The media may call it a killer virus, but the survival rate among those hit hard in these clusters is 96 percent.
Yes, we all care about our children, but very few kids get it. A careful examination of lists confirms that victims tend to be elderly people with a direct physical link to the clusters.
Contaminated places get cleaned by themselves. The virus dies without a carrier. Some scientists estimate its life as three hours; others say a little longer, but all agree it cannot hibernate. In other words, you can even check into the much-publicized Metropole Hotel’s ninth floor without fear.
The virus is believed to die when the air temperature reaches 27°C. One hot Hong Kong day could fry all traces of it on exposed surfaces.
Many people assume the growth model of the virus will follow sci-fi movie scenarios. Evidence suggests it is more likely to follow the Guangzhou experience, where it spread for a few weeks and then started to contract.
The flood of panicky e-mails from a variety of people is not helping any. Panic creates muddle-headedness.
SARS in Hong Kong is into Week Five now and the most dangerous period has passed. Consider the facts above; the news is always exaggerated. So you’ve got only two choices: You can either get a sense of humor and relax a little or you can roll yourself in plastic wrap, hide under your futon, and eat canned fish for dinner. As for us, we’ve decided to put on our new faux Gucci fashion masks and get on with our lives.
Be calm and stay healthy! – Hazel
This one comes from Singapore:
My family has been living here in Singapore for over three years now. In the wake of SARS, schools were suspended but junior college reopened this week while the lower levels are reopening on a staggered basis. There is no law that requires people in Singapore to don masks outside their home. Unlike in Hong Kong, it is still uncommon to see people wearing masks in offices, malls, mass transit and other public places. Masks have been distributed to staffs in some companies but it is really up to the person whether he/she wants to use it or not. We are advised though to wear masks if we are unwell or suffering from colds and cough.
Stay healthy! – Christina Villaruz-Fausto
For instance, chicken processing plants contribute a lot to salmonella and campylobacter contamination: Bacteria can breed in the water baths designed to loosen feathers and the microorganisms are then pounded into the skin by defeathering machines, says Turkington. This contamination has been linked to a nerve disease called Guillain-Barre Syndrome, which causes numbness and weakness in the arms and legs. Some victims may even become permanently disabled – all because of eating contaminated chicken.
Of course, it’s not just poultry that can get contaminated. There’s such a thing as egg, fish, shellfish, seafood, or meat parasitic poisoning, too.
And yes, our water can get contaminated, too. At the height of the US war in Iraq, Muslim rebels threatened to contaminate our water supply to dramatize their protest against the US action.
So take this handy advice: Eat, drink but be wary. Here are some precious tips from Turkington’s very absorbing book:
• When buying fresh chickens in the supermarket, always check the expiry date. Store poultry in your cart away from other food items as plastic trays of chicken parts can leak potentially contaminated juice. And insist that the poultry products be bagged separately.
• Put chicken package on a tray or plate to catch the dripping juices. Store at 40°C (or colder) in your ref and use within a day or two. If not, freeze it at O°F in its original packaging.
• Never defrost poultry on the counter. Instead, place the wrapped bird in the fridge. Or you can immerse it in a bowl of cold water that you change every half hour.
• After handling raw poultry, be sure to wash your hands and anything else that touched it – like chopping board, utensils, sink, counters – with hot, soapy water.
• Be sure to cook your poultry to an internal temperature high enough to kill harmful bacteria. It is recommended to cook whole poultry to 180°F. Never cook poultry in an oven set lower than 325°F.
• Always buy eggs with clean, uncracked shells from a refrigerated display case. Do not buy eggs anywhere where they’re not refrigerated. Any bacteria in the egg can quickly grow at room temperature.
• Keep eggs in their original carton in the coldest part of the refrigerator (don’t store on the door as it’s not cold enough).
• Avoid keeping eggs outside the refrigerator for more than two hours.
• Avoid eating raw or undercooked eggs, or any dishes that contain them. These include Caesar salads, mousse, custards, homemade ice cream containing raw eggs, and homemade mayonnaise.
• Avoid raw meat, poultry or seafood, particularly raw oysters and raw clams.
• Never eat hamburgers that are pink inside.
• When buying canned foods, make sure the can is not dented, bulging or swollen.
• Before you open a can, always wash the top with water.
• To reduce your exposure to lead, don’t put acidic foods (like orange juice) in ceramic containers.
Now, that’s some really provoking food for thought!