An 18-year old boy, who had returned from Australia, consulted his GP and the Health Ministry’s hotline about his flu symptoms but “everyone dismissed his condition as normal”, according to the boy’s sister.
Here is an extract of a report from the Straits Times:
But after a general practitioner told him he probably had only the seasonal flu, and also being told by the Health Ministry’s (MOH) ambulance hotline that he should see his GP again before calling for the ambulance, the youth decided it was safe enough for him to take the train when he next visited the doctor.
The two-minute ride from Serangoon to Kovan MRT stations on Wednesday morning has now subjected him to much public criticism.
Members of online forums have labelled him ‘inconsiderate’ and ‘selfish’ as they felt he could have spread the virus to a large number of people.
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“We wanted to be civic-minded, but no one pointed us in the right direction. We tried our best, but doctors we consulted seemed to think we were over-reacting.” – The boy’s sister, as quoted by the Straits Times.
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And those netizens come from STOMP?
Nobody cares until it affects them. Its a unfortunate state of society we have here.
I would put it down to the level of public awareness on the precautionary steps one can and must take when one has just returned from an affected country, or, anywhere where there is a likelihood that the virus could have been passed – for example, flight transits and stopovers.
One area lacking in public awareness is the need to don a face mask. In the case of this 18 year old boy, the moment he started showing signs of feeling unwell, especially after the short duration since his return from oversea, the first thing he ought to have done was to wear a face mask. In fact, anyone who has the flu or has the cold must automatically don a face mask. This has to be the new culture we must adopt and this is one social behaviour we must emphasize and promote.
It is commendable that he had sought advice from his GP and the 993 ambulatory staff but the crucial measure of donning a face mask was lacking. There are two issues here, whether one takes the advice of the medical staff or one follows his own instinct of safeguarding against the spread of virus – never mind if it is the common flu or H1N1.
The GP ought to be censured by the authorities as well as the 993 ambulance staff. These have been taught to err on the safe side. The authorities like MOH has to step in to correct such lapses.
I seriously think the 18-year boy should not be faulted in this case. When medical personnel keep telling you that you are okay and that you are over-reacting, it kind of make what your precautionary actions like a foolish act.
I agree with gemami that the GP and the 933 ambulance staff should be responsible if outbreak occurred from this case.
Singaporean should learn to be responsible and considerate. I agree that it must be a norm to see someone wearing mask if he/she is having a flu or a cold. I personally have a colleague who keep sneezing periodically behind me without even covering his mouth. He just lashes it all out… it makes him feel good…. but imagine his germs flying around ….. I have to stop breathing from a few minutes hoping not to catch whatever from him.
ST’s definition of ‘online forums’ and ‘netizens’ pretty much only covers STOMP, where you can find the most vocal ‘moral vigilante’ wannabes one can possibly encounter online. Sometimes I think they’re just seeking attention.
will you put on a face mask when you feel unwell, knowing that this is sg and people will start reacting as if you’re a walking repository of bacteria/ virus?
What do you expect? This is sg what. People expect everyone else to be considerate to them whereas they make an exception for themselves and themselves alone. I bet if anyone was told by his doctor it was probably a seasonal flu he wouldn’t be going around with a mask. For what? The reaction is just because he happens to carry H1N1…
Especially if we’re looking at STOMP and ST Online!
wat a crapload of thrash from those online netizens
Do the patient have to pay for the ambulance and how much do they have to pay?
Give me a break….its recession time here in singapore. And the boy gets flamed all over the net for taking MRT…..
Jeesh….this country is becoming the “complaint” capital of the world.
i seriously wonder if the boy should not be blamed at least partially. The very fact that he checked himself into a hotel on arrival as a precaution shows that he didn’t want to spread a potential flu/illness to his family. In this case, it was a selfish desire to protect his family first. He could have spread his virus to the other people in the hotel, but did he care? NO! He obviously wasn’t considerate enough to put on a mask, even though he suspected himself of having the virus. My own parents told me to wear a mask when i was having a slight flu during my exams during may. That is what that boy should have done. Though the doctors were negligent, the boy and his family obviously didn’t stop to consider the interests of others. Yes, they may not be totally at fault since they consulted doctors, but they cannot be absolved of all the blame.
Even though i am a Singaporean, i have to admit that we are, on the whole, a rather selfish society. The government/society has inculcated into us ‘kaisu’ values that teach us that results matter and so we have shifted our priorities to place our self-interest first. This incident is but a small mirror/reflection of the political/cultural climate here. it reflects the selfishness and self-motivational forces of our society.
aiya, this is pure system failure…
dun cause an unnecessary panic, but when the cat is out of the bag its out. too late to contain.
The success of 50 years of breeding by the pappies. I would like to congragulate them for creating the perfect peasant so that they can rule with impunity.
the subject matter experts okayed him to go public
perhaps its only the people who live in Serangoon and Kovan who are complaining
I tot some local bio institute hit headline about claiming to be 1st pioneer at discovering something at H1N1 or shit, WTH is it not doing any vaccine yet?
Guys, help me here. I counted 1,2, 3…..15. Fifteen posters here (excluding myself) and not one single one blaming the boy. So, who are these netizens the MSM are talking about???????
hi Winstoncheng,
please read the ST link, before pointing fingers.
To (13) Strange Fact
Who is the perfect peasant you are talking about? The boy? The GP? The netizens?
To (16) Winston Cheng
Great sample size. Though might i suggest you poll more than 1 online forum? It’s just a thought. And sorry in advance as i am going to screw with your statistics.
As a man well versed in the arts of over reaction and unmitigated panic addled with a love of finger pointing and blame assignment (a heady cocktail am i right?)
I would like to say to the boy – WHAT IN THE WORLD WERE YOU THINKING! Whatever possessed you to ride in a train with flu symptoms, much like most Singaporeans have done in like forever, without a face mask? And in H1N1 season some more. Someone must not have told you but i would like very much to stay alive.
Even with a GP’s ok, all people with flu symptoms should be swathed like a mummy to prevent the spread of the virus which depending on whose estimates you believe has a CFR of 0.4 to 0.09. (Seasonal Flu is 0.1).
I thank you very much for my continued survival.
Oh come on some of you. I too would like to chide the boy for not wearing the flu mask. Common sense would have pushed him toward wearing one especially with the current climate of the H1N1 virus spreading around like wild fire.
I think he tried hard enough to tell the GP and the ambulance staff that he suspected himself enough to have been exposed to the virus but what is an eighteen year old boy to do if the message he gets from these ‘experts’ is one that tells of an over-reaction on his part? He specifically asked if he needed to wear a mask and was told that it was not necessary.
This is why I would choose to put the blame on public awareness, or the lack of it. I insist that we have to adopt a new culture where people do not shy away from wearing face masks as soon as one catches a cold or flu. It must not only be during an outbreak like H1N1 or SARS but each time one shows symptoms of having a cold or flu.
The boy can’t be given ALL the blame to shoulder, but he definitely should bear SOME responsibility. The very fact he was worried enough to check into a hotel rather than risk spreading a potential virus to his family shows that he stopped to consider the possible complications/risk of his situation. However, he obviously didn’t care that much for the welfare of the public. I would have to agree however, that the average Singaporean would very much react in the same way as the boy did. Therefore, I would have to admit that it would be rather hypocrite to just blindly point fingers at him and not cut him some slack. Yes, he wasn’t 100% civic minded and considerate, but let’s not harp on his mistakes. I’m sure he didn’t purposely set out to infect us all. It’s only human to err, so i believe it’s alright to rant once or twice at his mistakes, but let’s not be vindictive to him.
heh, if people are still travelling to affected countries, where there are many affected how civic-minded are they?
airlines still flying pasengers, people on business trips still travel for work… to what extend civic-minded really is civic minded? how about those service crews in airlines? why not all done medical protection garb, face mask, gloves & all?
going to be highest level pandemic trains & planes still moving about, what kind of pandemic? aiya, economy must move pandemic or not, its all about $$$ lah…..
8) LOL ////wat a crapload of thrash from those online netizens////
And we are getting quality here at TOC?
10) Playboy_Rick
/////this country is becoming the “complaint” capital of the world.////
So you noticed. I posted about these complainers, and what did I get? no prizes for the right answer, more compliants !!
5) kyon
////ST’s definition of ‘online forums’ and ‘netizens’ pretty much only covers STOMP, where you can find the most vocal ‘moral vigilante’ wannabes one can possibly encounter online. Sometimes I think they’re just seeking attention.///
Are the netizens at STOMP a homogenous mass of like minded people?