6/13/2013
Dengue epidemic reaching a critical level
More than 9500 cases so far this year or 1,500 cases a month. Last week alone 820 cases were reported. Vivian Balakrishnan is warning the public that this may become more serious if the spread of the disease is not controlled. It is spreading from the East to the West of the island or is it from the West to the East?
For the first time I read that 1.2m insect repellants will be distributed for free! At $5 a can, that is $6m. This is to prevent people from being bitten by the mosquitoes in their homes.
Being bitten is one way the disease will spread. The mosquitoes will carry the viruses to pass on to the next victim. So anyone falling sick because of dengue is going to be a carrier. And if they did not seek treatment or cannot afford to seek treatment, they will be a walking carrier, feeding the mosquitoes with more viruses to pass around.
Apart from giving free insect repellants, maybe it is time that all dengue patients should be given free medical treatment. This will encourage every dengue patient to come forward for treatment and will cut down the source of virus carriers in the chain.
Would this be possible? Free medical treatment for a near epidemic disease that is starting to take lives? Would there be affected patients who chose not to see the doctor because they could not afford the fee? If you think this a joke, read what Vivian has to say,
"Infectious diseases are a test of special cohesion as a society and we need everyone to understand that our own health depends on the health of our neighbours and we need to exercise personal and collective responsibility for each other."
An infectious disease that is spreading in the community is not the problem of an individual. It is not a heart problem that stays with the sick person. It is a living sickness that is going to be passed around. This will take commercial interest of selling drugs at a profit to selling drugs to prevent an epidemic. Can the govt say no money no drugs, no treatment?
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35 comments:
>>Apart from giving free insect repellants, maybe it is time that all dengue patients should be given free medical treatment.
Fat hope from the PAPaya..judging from SARs history.
U die yr biz.. they'll import new citizens
Nature is the only force that can rein in mankind,
It will get mankind to rally against the tests it(nature) bestows on and at them.
When mankind fails the tests, they face the consequences..
Some men run away from the tests of course.
Can the Rulers in Sin afford to leave the People to face their own fate in an epidemic?
I asked the Question number of times before and the Common Answer me gotten from the Sinkies at the Workplaces, coffeeshops, market place, cyberland and around Sin were invariably, 'cannot afford treatment then just too bad'. Some even said that those inffected by contagious diseases were careless, irresponsible and unlucky.
I say we need a real test to regain conscience and sanity.
patriot
I think unlike SARS, dengue is more serious and is transmitted from person to person through mosquito. I agree with RB that this is a national crisis and the billions locked up should be released to fight the desease. Singaporeans should be given FREE medical treatment for dangue.
"Would there be affected patients who chose not to see the doctor because they could not afford the fee?"
redbean
Possible. But the numbers of such people are quite small lah and those who will die from it may be even smaller.
So far only 2 deaths what. And they died not because they did not seek treatment but rather maybe because of delayed treatment.
So if I were PAP, I would think even free treatment will not help much if treatment is delayed longer due to waiting. Because it is free therefore many more people will want to see doctor what and the doctors will not be able to cope so waiting time will be longer and service quality will drop also lah, tio bo?
RB, free treatment? I think u wait long long or tan ku ku hor
Must see things in perspective.
There are deaths due to dengue and there are deaths due to accidents in SAF or outside.
Actually giving free insect repellant is just patching the problem, not fixing the root cause lah.
Because fixing root cause is difficult lah, if the root cause is is due to Govt who want to have high economic growth.
More construction, more foreigners, more economic growth maybe also breed more mosquitoes and diseases lah.
The only way to bring the dengue outbreak under control is for a few Leeders and their family members to get bitten and infected.
Otherwise, the priority will always be to blame Singaporeans and Opposition parties.
Their houses, offices and surroundings are well maintained, guarded and of course mosquito free lah.
It is the same in every country lah, even in Timbuktu.
If I were them, I only need to worry whether PAP can still win the next election or not lah.
But with WP still the best opposition, I think also no need to worry too much lah. I will just think about how to "fix" WP.
Viv Bala via redbean:
>> "Infectious diseases are a test of special cohesion as a society and we need everyone to understand that our own health depends on the health of our neighbours and we need to exercise personal and collective responsibility for each other."
Eh redbean, despite this fella's obvious politicl aspirations, in this insatnce he is right lah, and he's a doctor (a very good one), so it would be wise to defer to him instead of differing with him.
If your neighbour has plants collecting water all over the place, then his carelessness could very well impact you and your family, and of course vice versa.
>> For the first time I read that 1.2m insect repellants will be distributed for free! At $5 a can, that is $6m.
Hopefully made in Australia, not China ;-)
Anyway, this is a good move. However I am willing to be that most people won't use them -- especially the women, who are the most vulnerable because of their vast areas of exposed skin. Pregnant women need to be extra cautious.
Also many people are like redbean -- their belief in "folk medicine" rules their lives.They have no understanding of biology, so you can forget about epidemiology (if they can even fucking spell the word to begin with). So they go off with their folk medicine -- using Tiger Balm/Oil, Mopikao and winter melon (redbean's favourite) to "treat" and "cure" everything from demonic possession to cancer. So far, no one from tis demographic has won a Nobel Prize. ;-)
>> This will take commercial interest of selling drugs at a profit to selling drugs to prevent an epidemic.
What drugs can prevent dengue? So far none. Oh wait...winter melon?
>> And if they did not seek treatment or cannot afford to seek treatment, they will be a walking carrier, feeding the mosquitoes with more viruses to pass around.
Alamak. Just go to the shop buy two/ three bucks worth of winter melon lah. Ask redbean. He's the ex-spurt.
Matilah, do you know how to read or not? Why do you think I quoted Vivian if I don't agree with him.
Incidentally I did Biology in A level ok.
Why the dengue cases are so high in the east side of this tiny island? Before we answer this question, they should stop pushing the blame to the urban dwellers, as per their propaganda papers, it can fly 21 storeys and while you are sleeping at night it bite you.
People in the west side also keep plants, also got mass littering by foreign workers, over vast areas like open fields, where they 'picnic' over the weekend.
Brown and dry fallen leaves everywhere after a day's scorching heat only to pick water over the night, the total surface areas of these leaves is ideal for insects breeding. Especially where there are so many old trees shedding their leaves.
So why the east side ? It has to be something unique to the side.
Some may say the east side is WP territory.
Because east side property value can sell high mah. That's why east side more enblocs, more construction projects lah. So more chance to breed mozzies lah.
Is my theory correct?
The dengue case is high here probably because we are too sanitize, and population density too high.
I do not see we are at the level of shithole India or our streets are dirtier than the 80s. But our people immune system certainly drop.
PAP urban planing is what cause many problem. A healthy citizen need landed property and contact with soil. This is equivalent to daily inoculation as someone with landed property are expose to bacteria.
Without that, I foresee Singaporeans will increasingly rely to expensive drug to maintain their health to the point we become frankenstein.
Also our lifestyle is too stressful. We should strive to be a sports participating citizen. It will boost our health but this is not compatible with OTs.
I got FT friend who told me he fall sick here often due to long distance he travel in MRT resulting to lack of sleep.
@redbean:
>> Why do you think I quoted Vivian if I don't agree with him.
I don't know, nor do I care.
>> Incidentally I did Biology in A level ok.
Obviously it was a waste of time. ;-)
@anon1149:
>> Why the dengue cases are so high in the east side of this tiny island?
No one knows for sure. Let's just say it is best to look at the stats, with observation, surveys and more data collection and not invent causality just from observation or experience -- experience being the most flawed of all.
Remember: data first, then hypothesis. Not gasak buta causality first, then look for data to confirm -- missing out the important data that disconfirms. This is "biased" reasoning, and it is the "default" condition of the human mind.
>> while you are sleeping at night it bite you.
While possible of course, Aedes mosquitos tend to feed in twilight and dusk. When you sleep, go "old school" -- light those mosquito coils (or use the electric vapourizing type)
East side more populated than west side, north side and south side mah.
More population more chance to breed mozzies lah.
Is my theory also correct?
@1226:
>> More population more chance to breed mozzies lah.
Not necessarily ;-) You can bet that there'll be a lot of breeding in places like MacRitchie and all the wonderful greenery in very green Singapore. Then there are the construction sites -- many in your own neighbourhood as your rich neighbours love to renovate their houses or rebuild -- why not? Bangla and Thai labour is cheap. Constructions sites are great for breeding: you have a concentrated population of humans living on site, plus plenty of wet areas, and a cultural "don't fuck care" attitude.
But lets visit the data again: According to WHO data sets, about 100 million cases of dengue every year. This is baseline incidence i.e. "expected" numbers, and it is huge, but it is still baseline.
Therefore it is not unreasonable to assume that Singapore could be "hit" with a clustering of cases. Epidemic? No, at least not yet. (i.e. let the data do the talking. Fuck the human emotions: they are inaccurate)
It is for this reason I keep a good stock of insect repellant and "jungle clothing" in Singapore, plus a few boxes of mosquito coils always in store.
Dengue outbreaks while not common, are frequent enough to warrant "constant vigilance".
I think NEA and the govt in general are doing a good job. It is the people who I'm really scared of, because they are not, in general, responsible.
I have another "theory":
SPGs should keep their legs closed until the threat of mass infection is over. In that way they'll be doing a patriotic and civic-minded duty of denying mosquitos breeding places in their warm, wet and dark va-jay-jays.
Shut yo damn pussy down girl!
...ok, I'm off to concoct more theory... better take my winter melon, wait redbean angry....ladies, douche with winter melon, make redbean sleep a bit more soundly tonight!
No lah, town council in the west jurong, used bleach to kill the weeds along the kerbs, and the mossies hate it !
Mosquitoes do not emanate from highrise apts or work sites. Its naural habitat is where is much carbon dioxide and darkness. Trees and plants.
Trees should be trimmed vigorously to let the light in from the street lamps esp if they near living quarters. To deter them.
1st world country to 3rd world status in just 10 years.
Well done, clown prince!
Once upon a time, the papayas wanted to get rid of strawberries so they released a lot of mosquitoes into the environment in the hope that they would wipe out those strawberries and replace them by cheaper foreign berries.
Those mps who have voted for 6.9m people are the murderers for those who died of dengue fever. This small tropical island just cannot accomodate so many people without suffering from dreadful ecological consequences. No amount of insecticide can save their asses.
Matilah, like that also shiok. Ok let you enjoy your childhood once again.
dengue has claimed another victim.
so what'r the govt gonna to do.....more fogging ?
forchrissake, they've been fogging for thirty yrs already, but dengue cases are going up, so are sinkies cancer rate !
according to einstein, *doing the same thing over n over again expecting different result is the sign of insanity* !
so they'r combing the mosquito breeding ground right now ?
but is mosquito breeding the root of the problem ?
this guy in pakistan got a point there when he asked
*what ever kind of scenes that u have portrayed about our country's citys and suburbs be rural be urban society is not at all new. extensive slums and polluted & unhygenic living conditions specially of commoners and downtrodden are more or less same stretched over not only allover pakistan but to no less than 75% area of the subcontinent and the sea region.
what is now happening in lahore is why suddenly so outburst and out of control like menace? [1]
he was saying that india n pakistan have similar condition but why was pakistan plagued with dengue but not india ?
which begs a even better question..
sg is first world compared to india, which is literally the hotbed of all kind of monster mosquitos, has anybody ever heard about a dengue crisis in india ?
in the 80's, there was an outbreak of dengue in cuba, which like pakistan, [2]was under intense destabilisation from fukusi. [3]
at the same time, neighboring haiti, dominican republic were dengue free ! [4]
so the environment angle just doesnt wash.
*they* ought to think outta box.
things like.....
*could this be a biowar attack on sg* ?
no prize for guessing who's the suspect in my mind.
so if the gahment want to seek *expert* help,dont even think about those from fukus, it'd be kinda like asking the fox to investigate murder in the hens house !
[1]
http://www.opinion-maker.org/2011/09/dengue-the-2nd-phase-of-bio-war-in-afro-asia/
[2]
http://therearenosunglasses.wordpress.com/2008/09/15/pakistans-taliban-ttp-are-cia-just-like-i-said/
[3]
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article22512.htm
[4]
http://www.globalresearch.ca/america-s-ultimate-weapon-of-mass-destruction-biological-warfare/14619
Wah! More than 9,000 cases of dengue fever.
Well done Millionaires-In-White!
Come. I clap for you.
Respectfully. What are you guys good for?
JOKE
========
Q: Why the mosquito situation can only get worse?
A: Bloodsuckers will not kill family members.
anon 11:11, we are as good as what you are good for.
Thousands of aging sick trees planted by the park are having peeling bark. Creating ten of thousands water pockets, holes in the trees across the island.
Making them ideal for mosquitoes breeding!
Shouldn't we chop those aging trees?
garden by what bay is a very huge magnet for mosquitoes. being situated close to many office blocks, casino in the areas, with trees, plants and ponds, perfect habitat for these blood suckers.
We have too many trees more than one million and plants already, we are creating 'jungle belt ' and not park. The trees are too close for comfort
Using mosquito net over the bed is more effective than insect repellants. They attack when you are sleeping and they are immuned to whatever chemical weapons.
East side more landed properties. NEA mozzies squads have to inspect choked drains, roof tops, gulley pipes etc. Very troublesome
Like the Indian national labourers said, need many many hands. So make it fast just make quick inspections of flats and adjoined to happy hours at the coffee shops.
Also, these owners /tenants mostly pretend nit to know they are here and shut them out.
Penalty fines 200 bucks you know for just having the mozzie in your premises.
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