Image via WikipediaProfessor on home quarantine has more than just plans upset
Esther Ng
05:55 AM Jun 20, 2009
HE WENT to the Ministry of Health's (MOH) website on Thursday night, purely on a whim - and was shocked to find out that Influenza A (H1N1) patient No 73 had sat next to him on the flight home.
Professor Edmund Lee at once called the MOH hotline and was advised to stay home. So, he told his colleagues at the National University of Singapore that he was quarantining himself for a week at home - where his living arrangements have turned upside down.
For one, Father's Day plans have been cancelled - the 57-year-old lecturer is confining himself to his room and taking his meals separately from other members of the household.
"There is a risk of exposure to them, especially since I have a sister-in-law who is on chemotherapy whom I'm caring for," he said.
With the MOH signalling that patient No 73 could mark the start of local transmission of H1N1, more Singaporeans could soon find themselves in Prof Lee's shoes - counted upon to make the responsible choice of isolating themselves, and worried over their family's safety.
There are usually six people in the Lee household, but Prof Lee's wife and niece are in Kuala Lumpur, so he only has to worry about minimising contact with his nephew, his domestic help, and his sister-in-law, 47.
The quarantine has affected his work, even though university term does not open until August.
"There are some things you can't get done by email or the Internet. There are tests to do and work is piling up," he said.
Could airlines do more?
He was feeling fine, but said check-in staff should have prevented the affected passenger from boarding.
"The passenger knew he was sick - he was wearing a mask. I thought he was protecting himself," said Prof Lee.
Patient No 73, a 26-year-old man suspected to have come in contact with an earlier confirmed H1N1 case in Singapore, and Prof Lee were seated at Row 19 on SilkAir MI 335, which touched down from Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday afternoon.
Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines (SIA) and SilkAir told Today that check-in staff are on the alert for anyone who appears unwell.
"All customers checking in are asked if they have any flu symptoms, had contact with a known H1N1 case or if applicable, travelled to an H1N1- affected area," said SIA.
SilkAir said that if a passenger is identified to be unwell, and the aircraft has not taken off, the crew will "assist the passenger to disembark the plane and see a doctor".
On MI 335, SilkAir said its cabin crew "did not come across any passengers who looked ill during the flight. Additionally, none of the passengers had informed our crew that they were not feeling well".
From TODAY, News – Weekend, 20/21-Jun-2009; see the source article here.
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