Why are we failing to take basic precautionary steps?
While we are relieved that two of the three people diagnosed with the coronavirus thus far have already recovered, we are at a loss to understand why our authorities are being so nonchalant about taking precautionary measures to stop a potential outbreak. A report published in this daily on March 12 highlighted a few crucial omissions on the part of the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), which may have grave repercussions for the nation. While the institution assured the public that those who came in close contact with the infected ones have been quarantined, they conveniently forgot to mention the crew and passengers on the same flights as the infected persons, who have also been exposed to the virus. Apparently, it took the IEDCR two days to simply reach out to some of these passengers, and we remain unclear whether all of them have yet been tracked down and diagnosed. One can only imagine how much, and how far, the virus could have spread within these few days through these passengers, especially as they may not yet be showcasing any recognisable symptom.
Despite the gravity of the threat, screenings at airports and land ports remain lax, to the point where we are left to wonder: do we even care about stopping this pandemic? Why else are health declaration forms—where passengers are supposed to share information about their recent travel history and whether they have fever, shortness of breath, nausea, headache or cough—being handled so casually? Why are people's body temperatures being read by hand-held infrared thermometers whose readings are unreliable? Why is the airport and aircrafts not being disinfected regularly? Why are there so few trained health officials to handle the influx of passengers, and why are they not wearing protective gears? If it is a matter of inadequate resources, why have we not prioritised the management and control of corona, when the health and welfare of the whole nation depends on it?
We have repeatedly asked the authorities to ensure that all measures are taken to prevent infections from spreading. We understand how daunting that task is; however, there can be no excuse for the failure to implement basic precautionary steps which can at least reduce, if not completely eradicate, the risk of coronavirus to the nation.
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