IN KUALA LUMPUR
WHEN my throat started to itch on Sunday, I actually toyed with the idea of going to the doctor. I was feeling a tad paranoid about the Influenza A (H1N1) epidemic as there seems to be a sudden spate of flu-related deaths in Malaysia.
The number is up to 64 now, with two or three new cases a day.
I didn’t go to the doctor after all. The sore throat vanished by the morning, and I guess I was instead infected by the low-level fear (or awareness, if you want to take a positive view) of H1N1.
In recent weeks, more and more Malaysians are walking around with face masks.
Two weeks ago, at a 20,000-strong street demonstration against the Internal Security Act, I was nearly stampeded by hundreds of mask-wearing protestors. They were at a higher risk of being tear-gassed, but took precautions against swine flu.
On Monday, top Barisan Nasional leaders including deputy premier Muhyiddin Yassin wore masks to the nomination of candidates for the Permatang Pasir by-election.
Many parents are so fearful that they rush their young children to hospital at the first sign of a spiked temperature, and want the government to close schools for a spell. At the moment, schools are only being closed on a case-by-case basis.
The fear is understandable. Bombarded by so much news, it’s hard to make sense of the seriousness of the epidemic in Malaysia, and whether it is likely to get worse.
It is not helped by scary newspaper headlines claiming that up to 5 million Malaysians may catch the virus (that’s 20 per cent of the population!).
A doctor (and Gerakan politician) Hsu Dar Ren tried to give a coherent explanation on his blog. He said that most of the flu cases now are H1N1, with the vast majority showing mild symptoms. But these don’t get always get detected.
But because they go uncounted, the mortality rate seemed extraordinarily high.
On Sunday, Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai confirmed it. He said the number of actual cases would be about 20 times that of confirmed cases. That would make it about 80,000 cases in Malaysia, so far.
Most of the deaths were due to complications of underlying diseases.
That sounds less alarming now, but the authorities should have spoken up much earlier. The fear is already causing people to swamp hospitals with 900 to 1,000 coming in daily with flu symptoms. Waiting time is four hours at some hospitals.
Still, it's better than being lackadaisical or expecting the government to magically block the virus from our borders. On the positive side, Malaysians are waking up to the need for better personal hygiene as basic steps like washing hands are often not observed. Now, I’m seeing people scrub their hands as if they are preparing to conduct a surgery.
Meanwhile, I’m noticing a hint of a scratchy throat again. To the doctor?