I REFER to “People’s cooperation vital to fight pandemic” (Letters, Aug 25). I do not agree with the writer on certain points. How does he validate his statement that the government is under-reporting cases. The figures declared are based on confirmed cases per se and as provided by the World Health Organisation, we can safely multiply that by 20. So the issue of under-reporting does not arise.

It is time the writer does some homework on how viruses behave and the differences among the different subtypes. Mass closures on public amenities and entertainment outlets even for a day or two will result in huge losses to the business community and government. He should realise that though Mexico did take such drastic steps, it had not been able to eradicate the problem in entirety. And how do we know if the data revealed by the Mexican government are indeed accurate.

There are more deaths in Malaysia resulting from dengue than any other virus that we know inflicting Malaysians. Do we also shut all construction and development projects which more often breed mosquitoes in discarded materials that may house enough water to breed them? We have to approach the situation in a practical manner that is not only economically viable but also one that will not cause panic among the public and tourists.

Children at hospitals may look healthy to the writer but he may not realise that not many parents can afford maids and day care. If the parent is seeking medical attention in a hospital, she may not have a choice but to bring along the children. Where else to put them. Has he thought about that before making conclusions.

The government is doing more than required to address the situation but it just boils down to the individual at the end of the day. Blaming the different agencies for our own ignorance is not helpful. Basic hygiene, adequate fluid intake and sufficient supplements can definitely help. The virus will run its cycle no matter what is done. This is a fact. The fear now is will it become more virulent (aggressive) in the near future. We must be prepared for that if it happens.

Narinder Pal Singh
Shah Alam

Source: The Sun – August 26, 2009