Labels: reports

The Mystery Of "Missing" Fingerprints

Reported by : Elliase Star

The man, identified only as Mr. S., was detained at airport customs for four hours until puzzled Homeland Security officials were able to verify his identity by other means, according to a letter posted online in Annals of Oncology.

The loss of fingerprints is part of a condition known as hand-foot syndrome -- formally palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia -- that arises in patients taking capecitabine (Xeloda), according to the man's doctor, Eng-Huat Tan, M.D., of the Singapore National Cancer Centre.

The syndrome causes chronic inflammation of the palms or soles of the feet and the skin can peel, bleed and develop ulcers or blisters. "This can give rise to eradication of finger prints with time," Dr. Tan said in a statement.

The syndrome appears to be relatively common among capecitabine patients. One study, published in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacology in 2004, found that 65% of patients in clinical trials of the drug developed hand-foot syndrome, although only about 5% had a grade 3 condition.

Labels: reports

WHO to re look alert system

Reported by: Yoko

The World Health Organisation may alter its pandemic warning system after some countries said that raising the alert over the current Influenza A (H1N1) threat could create confusion and cause a loss of confidence. The agency will ask a group of scientists and public health officials over the next few weeks for advice on how to improve the decade-old alert system, said Dr Keiji Fukuda, WHO's assistant director- general of health security and environment.

Cases worldwide have more than doubled in the pass two weeks as the virus became established in countries outside North America, where it was discovered about six weeks ago. Still, the WHO wants to see more evidence of a widespread community transmission before declaring the first influenza pandemic since 1968, Dr Fukuda said.

British Health Secretary, Alan Johnson said that WHO should have the flexibility to us emerging knowledge about the H1N1 flu in deciding whether the outbreak is sufficiently serious to raise the pandemic to the highest of its six level scale.

By yesterday, 48 countries had reported almost 13,500 cases, all which included 95 deaths. More cases were reported in Australia, Japan and South Korea. Singapore had reported also, its 4Th case and Bahrain reported its first case. All these numbers show how dangerous H1N1 is, and the public is strongly advised to practice good hygiene habits.

Labels: reports

我国第一例,

甲型H1N1流感

个案

（新加坡讯）我国确诊第一例甲型H1N1流感个案，病患是一名22岁的新加坡女性，5月14日-24日在纽约逗留，于5月26日早上6时30分乘坐新航班机SQ25从纽约返回新加坡，她是坐在机上第55排座位。

　　病患在飞机上已开始咳嗽，但因当时未出现发热症状而顺利通过了热量扫描器。之后她到普通科医生（GP）处就诊，鉴于她刚从纽约返新，医生在为她作检查后，立即拨打993热线，召救护车将她送往陈笃生医院接受检验。26日午夜，检测结果确诊其感染甲型H1N1流感。她目前在陈笃生医院传染中心接受治疗，情况稳定。

　　我国卫生部已在追踪与病患有密切接触的人员，并呼吁与该病患搭乘同架航班、坐在52-58排之间的乘客拨打热线1800-333 9999与卫生部联络，以便当局检查他们的健康情况，防止H1N1甲型流感扩散。

Labels: reports

Labels: reports

Imminent Jurong hospital to start hiring

Reported By

Belizesh Ho

Jurong's General hospital (JGH) will start recruiting even before construction for the proposed 700-bed facility starts. Over the next five years, its doctors, nurses and other staff will be working as the new team at the current Alexander Hospital (AH).

Labels: reports

Virtual worlds to educate real life to students

Reported by Ednar Tay

Some schools in Singapore have started using virtual worlds like Second Life as learning tools. Students can get a better knowledge of subjects ranging from art and married life to financial literacy.

In July 2009, lower secondary students from Ngee Ann Secondary School (NASS) will be commenting on art pieces found in gallery only in Second Life. They will be using Harvard University’s Artful Thinking syllabus, which develop the student’s art appreciation skills and their creative thinking. The school will also guide students through the issue of mercy-killing by having them to take the roles of vets and dog owners in a virtual animal clinic.

The MOE, which wants schools to “develop meaningful new ways of using technology for learning and teaching…that will lead to meaningful learning outcomes”, encourages the moves made by NASS and other schools. An MOE spokesman said that the ministry is also planning a study to explore the use of virtual worlds to improve learning and teaching.

At Innova Junior College (IJC), students will play as married couples, single people and divorcees on a future Mars colony troubled by the increasing birth rate and quarrelling over the costs and benefits of a scheme similar to the baby bonus. IJC’s infocomm technology head Tan Li Wee said that the students have limited life experience, so the exercise forces them to “experience issues from different perspectives”. Nowadays, students know very little about life, so the virtual worlds aid them in understanding and handling issues in life. Ms Tan is also hoping that they will build a better, more mature understanding of issues, and score better grades for their General Paper.

Schools like Beacon Primary and Ngee Ann Polytechnic have adopted information technology. In the meantime, the National Institute of Education’s Learning Science Lab is developing multi-online games on themes like active citizenry and national education. NASS principal Adrian Lim said that virtual worlds are a good fit for today’s students, who have grown up with the Internet. Natasha Emir, a Secondary 2 student, agrees. She said: “Many students are not that interested in art, but when they hear ‘virtual worlds’ and ‘IT’, they become more interested.” One good thing Mr Lim said about virtual worlds is that they are customisable, which gives the teacher tremendous flexibility in designing scenarios and allowing actions impossible for non-vets in reality, like putting a dog to sleep.

IJC’s Ms Tan mentioned another outcome of using virtual worlds from a teacher’s perspective: ‘because of their interactive nature, students become more involved and participate more often in classes. Natasha also said that she noticed shyer students opening up more than usual, likely because they are more comfortable using the virtual world’s online messaging system than speaking up. She said that initially, she was no fan of art, but her brush with virtual art has sparked an interest. She has since begun persuading her parents to organise family outings to visit the art galleries – real ones.

Virtual worlds are useful for students as we ourselves like computers so the virtual worlds will make students more interested and they can learn more through them. Here are 4 examples of learning in a simulated world. They are the ‘Youth Olympics Games virtual world’, ‘Financial literacy and accounting’, ‘NUS Second Life’ and ‘Statecraft X’.

Labels: reports

About A (H1N1) Virus

Reported By Tainted Angel

Additional Report by Zhang Xin

Up to now, there are an estimated 90 deaths globally and 11050 confirmed cases in about 42 countries.

Four Singaporeans are quarantined in Tibet as an Italian woman in their tour group has shown symptoms of Influenza A in a H1N1 check, a high fever. The group, which has 20 members, have been quarantined in Zhangmu, a Tibetan town near the Nepali border since Saturday. The group was supposed to be released on Tuesday after the woman's blood test result was out. However, the result did not prove negative and was sent to Beijing for more advanced testing. Channel News Asia questioned one of the Singaporeans, who was supposedly named Mr Lim. He said that he was unsure how long they would be quarantined. "A Chinese official just came by and he wanted to move us to a new hotel, but over the past few days, they kept feeding us with the wrong information, either that, or they don’t give us any information. So all of us didn’t want to move away from this hotel." he stated.

Singapore’s Foreign Ministry claims it has been in touch with the four Singaporeans and has been rendering the necessary consular assistance. No one else from the tour group has shown any symptoms of the H1N1 virus, but Ms Anna Husarskar, says that things were 'completely inefficient' as they had to "wait half a day for the ambulance to come and take them to the hotel, and another day and a half for the doctor to arrive, “China has four confirmed cases of the virus-the latest of a 59 year old man who was stopped while trying to enter a train with a fever. Japan has been hit hard-180 confirmed cases. Most of them were reported to be teenagers and children. More than 4400 schools and universities are to be closed. As the flu virus is not growing very fast in laboratories, instead of the previously estimated late this month, a vaccine will only be released at mid-July at the earliest.

In Tokyo, Japan, a 16-year-old school girl was tested to be positive for the H1N1 virus and had just come back from New York. Even the cases of the new strain of virus had risen to about 260 as of late yesterday; the Japan Health Ministry decided to stop the tight measures to quarantine those travellers from the European and affected countries, as they claimed that those measures are stressing the people. The reasons to stop those measures? The response is that they think that the death rate of the H1N1 virus aren't strong, and there was no cases of death reported there as of press time.

Up to now, there are an estimated 90 deaths globally and 11050 confirmed cases in about 42 countries.

Labels: reports

The local's MRT and LRT new System map (http://www.ccldiscovery.sg/)

What can be expected from the commuters after the Circle Line (CCL) starts its operation on the 28 May? The faster service and cheaper fares are the wonderful factors that attracts the crowd's attention.

What can you expect from the faster and more "high-tech" service from the CCL? See the trial systems in the trains!

The new electronic screen in the CCL

trains and other SMRT trains

New system in the East-west and North-south lines' trains

On April 10, we had reported about the CCL as "the world’s longest entirely automatic operated Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system" which is going to have its Phrase 5 stations: Bartley, Lorong Chuan, Serangoon, Bishan and Marymount "servicing the public starting from May 28 this year".

So let's look forward to this brand new transport system in Singapore!

Labels: reports

Labels: reports

Labels: reports

贴于国大医院入口处的告示 （石头诗摄）

记者跟着人群排了队，没想到手续甚多，造访者、病人都必须携带身份证或护照证件来填妥一张表格，否则将被制止入内。

造访者必须填妥的表格（石头诗摄）

记者原先澄清了身份，希望可尽快通过，但还需量体温等。记者进去没多久，也步出了医院。

**OF Singapore General Hospital (SGH)

By Platinum Butterfly

Obiviously, you will not get no mask, neither to not have your temperature checked and when you finally went through those procedures that you thought is troublesome, the certified item shall only an orange sticker with that day's date indicated, let's see how the reporter, me, step into the SGH.

Notice by SGH for the Influenza A

(TPW PHOTO: Tay Yi Yin)

All patients and visitors and patients will be screened for flu-like symptoms, muscle aches and travel history to the US.

I was stopped from entering SGH's pharmacy when my curosity rose for the cards on the display. The gerneral workers gave a mask and an orange sticker.

The mask SGH's worker gave to the reporter

(TPW PHOTO: Tay Yi Yin)

I then went into the pharmacy.

Only 2 visitors were allowed to visit those warded patients, and children below 12-year-old were not even allowed to visit anyone in SGH. This, is what the hospitals do but they might allow only one visitor to each patient if the Influenza gets more difficult to handle.

Labels: reports

Singapore prepares for

Influenza's outbreaks

though in Yellow Alert.

Reported By Platinum Butterfly

Additional Report By

Corporative Editor Zhang Xin

During the crisis, all local hospitals had prepared for any emergency even the alert level is in Yellow state. Posters were pasted on walls to tell patients to inform staff if they had been to Mexico, USA, UK, Canada, New Zealand or Israel and other 'infected' countries in the past few days.

The number of deaths in Mexico is still rising and one case of death is also reported in America. The A(H1N1) Influenza although is a new virus with presently no cure, it holds more danger than the SARS outbrek in Singapore and killed 33 people during 2003.

The symptoms, however, is showed after 7 days the virus had started spreading, later than the infection period of SARS. In SARS, a person becomes infectious after a few days of having fever. Influenza A(H1N1) is spread without any symptoms, making it 10 times worse than SARS.

Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology is rushing to make a test kit for the virus. On the other hand, travel agencies are cancelling trips to the US.

Labels: reports

Labels: reports

Labels: reports

Labels: reports

Local visitors are being scanned for flu symptoms.

Reported By:

Yoko

"It does not mean that it'll (The Influenza A/H1N1) definitely become a pandemic. But it's better to play safe and assume the worst, rather than hoping that the worst will never come, and when it does, it's too late to respond to it."- Health Minister, Mr Khaw Boon Wan

As you readers should already know, the A/H1N1 Influenza (Formerly known as Swine flu) has already killed 80 people in Mexico, and the numbers are still increasing worldwide. Border checks are being tightened as a precaution and thermal scanners have already been deployed at the arriving halls of Terminals 1,2 and 3, the Budget Terminal, Tuas and Woodlands Checkpoints, Seletar Airport and Singapore's other entry points to screen arriving passengers. In a joint statement with the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, the Health Ministry said that passengers arriving from the United States were being scanned by thermal scanners. Passengers with higher than normal temperature will be made to go through a full health assessment. This is all done for the health of Singaporeans and other passengers. The Health Ministry also says that the health checks are not non-intrusive and are unlikely to cause any delays. Flights in and out of Changi Airport should not be disrupted for this cause. Also, heath notices containing information about A/H1n1 Influenza are also being placed at immigration counters for all arriving passengers. Although no incidence of the virus has been reported, the Health Minister, Mr Khaw Boon Wan, said that it was "better to play safe". He also told reporters that with globalisation, reports of the virus spreading to the United States were a reason of concern. Since the Sars outbreak in 2003, Mr Khaw emphasised that developments in the health-care sector meant that Singapore was in a "much better" position to handle any outbreaks. "It does not mean that it'll definitely become a pandemic. But it's better to play safe and assume the worst," Mr Khaw said, "rather than hoping that the worst will never come, and when it does, it's too late to respond to it." Even with all these measures in place, a stockpile of Tamiflu and Relenza are at ready.What is Tamiflu and Relenza, you ask. They are drugs which, based on preliminary reports in Mexico and the US, has proven to react with the A/H1N1 Influenza virus. Mr Khaw added that the Health Ministry was monitoring the situation closely. He also advised the public to maintain high standards of personal hygiene and to limit the travels to affected areas such as Mexico and the US, if possible. Possibilities of restricting visitor numbers at hospitals as a precautionary measure will not be ruled out. However, Singapore General Hospital (SGH) has already stepped up on measures by way of tighter checks. Patients at SGH's Accident and Emergency department, as well as out-patient clinics, will be asked to alert staff if they have recently travelled to areas affected by the A/H1N1 Influenza. Visitors with similar travel history will also be advised not to visit patients and to seek medical attention immediately if they are feeling unwell. The health-care sector is not the only one beefing up measures against the virus. The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) is ensuring that all incoming pork products are tested for for the virus even though the virus is not spread through consumption and eating properly handled and cooked pork is safe. Although pork imports from the US contribute to 10 per cent of the total imported pork and pork products, pigs import are from AVA-accredited farms located at Pulau Bulan, near Batam in Indonesia. AVA said that surveillance testing these porks will be stepped up to ensure that they are not infected with the virus. The AVA is also in contact with its counterparts in the US, and are working closely with the Health Ministry and other authorities. Even though no pork or pork products are imported from Mexico, the Health Ministry urges all medical staffs to be on alert for any suspected human cases. Members of the public are also advised to consult a doctor if they develop symptoms of A/H1N1 Influenza within 7 days of travel to Mexico, California, Texas and Kansas.

Labels: reports

Labels: reports

Labels: reports

The Mystery Of "Missing" Fingerprints

Reported by : Elliase Star

The man, identified only as Mr. S., was detained at airport customs for four hours until puzzled Homeland Security officials were able to verify his identity by other means, according to a letter posted online in Annals of Oncology.

The loss of fingerprints is part of a condition known as hand-foot syndrome -- formally palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia -- that arises in patients taking capecitabine (Xeloda), according to the man's doctor, Eng-Huat Tan, M.D., of the Singapore National Cancer Centre.

The syndrome causes chronic inflammation of the palms or soles of the feet and the skin can peel, bleed and develop ulcers or blisters. "This can give rise to eradication of finger prints with time," Dr. Tan said in a statement.

The syndrome appears to be relatively common among capecitabine patients. One study, published in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacology in 2004, found that 65% of patients in clinical trials of the drug developed hand-foot syndrome, although only about 5% had a grade 3 condition.

Labels: reports

WHO to re look alert system

Reported by: Yoko

The World Health Organisation may alter its pandemic warning system after some countries said that raising the alert over the current Influenza A (H1N1) threat could create confusion and cause a loss of confidence. The agency will ask a group of scientists and public health officials over the next few weeks for advice on how to improve the decade-old alert system, said Dr Keiji Fukuda, WHO's assistant director- general of health security and environment.

Cases worldwide have more than doubled in the pass two weeks as the virus became established in countries outside North America, where it was discovered about six weeks ago. Still, the WHO wants to see more evidence of a widespread community transmission before declaring the first influenza pandemic since 1968, Dr Fukuda said.

British Health Secretary, Alan Johnson said that WHO should have the flexibility to us emerging knowledge about the H1N1 flu in deciding whether the outbreak is sufficiently serious to raise the pandemic to the highest of its six level scale.

By yesterday, 48 countries had reported almost 13,500 cases, all which included 95 deaths. More cases were reported in Australia, Japan and South Korea. Singapore had reported also, its 4Th case and Bahrain reported its first case. All these numbers show how dangerous H1N1 is, and the public is strongly advised to practice good hygiene habits.

Labels: reports

我国第一例,

甲型H1N1流感

个案

（新加坡讯）我国确诊第一例甲型H1N1流感个案，病患是一名22岁的新加坡女性，5月14日-24日在纽约逗留，于5月26日早上6时30分乘坐新航班机SQ25从纽约返回新加坡，她是坐在机上第55排座位。

　　病患在飞机上已开始咳嗽，但因当时未出现发热症状而顺利通过了热量扫描器。之后她到普通科医生（GP）处就诊，鉴于她刚从纽约返新，医生在为她作检查后，立即拨打993热线，召救护车将她送往陈笃生医院接受检验。26日午夜，检测结果确诊其感染甲型H1N1流感。她目前在陈笃生医院传染中心接受治疗，情况稳定。

　　我国卫生部已在追踪与病患有密切接触的人员，并呼吁与该病患搭乘同架航班、坐在52-58排之间的乘客拨打热线1800-333 9999与卫生部联络，以便当局检查他们的健康情况，防止H1N1甲型流感扩散。

Labels: reports

Labels: reports

Imminent Jurong hospital to start hiring

Reported By

Belizesh Ho

Jurong's General hospital (JGH) will start recruiting even before construction for the proposed 700-bed facility starts. Over the next five years, its doctors, nurses and other staff will be working as the new team at the current Alexander Hospital (AH).

Labels: reports

Virtual worlds to educate real life to students

Reported by Ednar Tay

Some schools in Singapore have started using virtual worlds like Second Life as learning tools. Students can get a better knowledge of subjects ranging from art and married life to financial literacy.

In July 2009, lower secondary students from Ngee Ann Secondary School (NASS) will be commenting on art pieces found in gallery only in Second Life. They will be using Harvard University’s Artful Thinking syllabus, which develop the student’s art appreciation skills and their creative thinking. The school will also guide students through the issue of mercy-killing by having them to take the roles of vets and dog owners in a virtual animal clinic.

The MOE, which wants schools to “develop meaningful new ways of using technology for learning and teaching…that will lead to meaningful learning outcomes”, encourages the moves made by NASS and other schools. An MOE spokesman said that the ministry is also planning a study to explore the use of virtual worlds to improve learning and teaching.

At Innova Junior College (IJC), students will play as married couples, single people and divorcees on a future Mars colony troubled by the increasing birth rate and quarrelling over the costs and benefits of a scheme similar to the baby bonus. IJC’s infocomm technology head Tan Li Wee said that the students have limited life experience, so the exercise forces them to “experience issues from different perspectives”. Nowadays, students know very little about life, so the virtual worlds aid them in understanding and handling issues in life. Ms Tan is also hoping that they will build a better, more mature understanding of issues, and score better grades for their General Paper.

Schools like Beacon Primary and Ngee Ann Polytechnic have adopted information technology. In the meantime, the National Institute of Education’s Learning Science Lab is developing multi-online games on themes like active citizenry and national education. NASS principal Adrian Lim said that virtual worlds are a good fit for today’s students, who have grown up with the Internet. Natasha Emir, a Secondary 2 student, agrees. She said: “Many students are not that interested in art, but when they hear ‘virtual worlds’ and ‘IT’, they become more interested.” One good thing Mr Lim said about virtual worlds is that they are customisable, which gives the teacher tremendous flexibility in designing scenarios and allowing actions impossible for non-vets in reality, like putting a dog to sleep.

IJC’s Ms Tan mentioned another outcome of using virtual worlds from a teacher’s perspective: ‘because of their interactive nature, students become more involved and participate more often in classes. Natasha also said that she noticed shyer students opening up more than usual, likely because they are more comfortable using the virtual world’s online messaging system than speaking up. She said that initially, she was no fan of art, but her brush with virtual art has sparked an interest. She has since begun persuading her parents to organise family outings to visit the art galleries – real ones.

Virtual worlds are useful for students as we ourselves like computers so the virtual worlds will make students more interested and they can learn more through them. Here are 4 examples of learning in a simulated world. They are the ‘Youth Olympics Games virtual world’, ‘Financial literacy and accounting’, ‘NUS Second Life’ and ‘Statecraft X’.

Labels: reports

About A (H1N1) Virus

Reported By Tainted Angel

Additional Report by Zhang Xin

Up to now, there are an estimated 90 deaths globally and 11050 confirmed cases in about 42 countries.

Four Singaporeans are quarantined in Tibet as an Italian woman in their tour group has shown symptoms of Influenza A in a H1N1 check, a high fever. The group, which has 20 members, have been quarantined in Zhangmu, a Tibetan town near the Nepali border since Saturday. The group was supposed to be released on Tuesday after the woman's blood test result was out. However, the result did not prove negative and was sent to Beijing for more advanced testing. Channel News Asia questioned one of the Singaporeans, who was supposedly named Mr Lim. He said that he was unsure how long they would be quarantined. "A Chinese official just came by and he wanted to move us to a new hotel, but over the past few days, they kept feeding us with the wrong information, either that, or they don’t give us any information. So all of us didn’t want to move away from this hotel." he stated.

Singapore’s Foreign Ministry claims it has been in touch with the four Singaporeans and has been rendering the necessary consular assistance. No one else from the tour group has shown any symptoms of the H1N1 virus, but Ms Anna Husarskar, says that things were 'completely inefficient' as they had to "wait half a day for the ambulance to come and take them to the hotel, and another day and a half for the doctor to arrive, “China has four confirmed cases of the virus-the latest of a 59 year old man who was stopped while trying to enter a train with a fever. Japan has been hit hard-180 confirmed cases. Most of them were reported to be teenagers and children. More than 4400 schools and universities are to be closed. As the flu virus is not growing very fast in laboratories, instead of the previously estimated late this month, a vaccine will only be released at mid-July at the earliest.

In Tokyo, Japan, a 16-year-old school girl was tested to be positive for the H1N1 virus and had just come back from New York. Even the cases of the new strain of virus had risen to about 260 as of late yesterday; the Japan Health Ministry decided to stop the tight measures to quarantine those travellers from the European and affected countries, as they claimed that those measures are stressing the people. The reasons to stop those measures? The response is that they think that the death rate of the H1N1 virus aren't strong, and there was no cases of death reported there as of press time.

Up to now, there are an estimated 90 deaths globally and 11050 confirmed cases in about 42 countries.

Labels: reports

The local's MRT and LRT new System map (http://www.ccldiscovery.sg/)

What can be expected from the commuters after the Circle Line (CCL) starts its operation on the 28 May? The faster service and cheaper fares are the wonderful factors that attracts the crowd's attention.

What can you expect from the faster and more "high-tech" service from the CCL? See the trial systems in the trains!

The new electronic screen in the CCL

trains and other SMRT trains

New system in the East-west and North-south lines' trains

On April 10, we had reported about the CCL as "the world’s longest entirely automatic operated Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system" which is going to have its Phrase 5 stations: Bartley, Lorong Chuan, Serangoon, Bishan and Marymount "servicing the public starting from May 28 this year".

So let's look forward to this brand new transport system in Singapore!

Labels: reports

Labels: reports

Labels: reports

贴于国大医院入口处的告示 （石头诗摄）

记者跟着人群排了队，没想到手续甚多，造访者、病人都必须携带身份证或护照证件来填妥一张表格，否则将被制止入内。

造访者必须填妥的表格（石头诗摄）

记者原先澄清了身份，希望可尽快通过，但还需量体温等。记者进去没多久，也步出了医院。

**OF Singapore General Hospital (SGH)

By Platinum Butterfly

Obiviously, you will not get no mask, neither to not have your temperature checked and when you finally went through those procedures that you thought is troublesome, the certified item shall only an orange sticker with that day's date indicated, let's see how the reporter, me, step into the SGH.

Notice by SGH for the Influenza A

(TPW PHOTO: Tay Yi Yin)

All patients and visitors and patients will be screened for flu-like symptoms, muscle aches and travel history to the US.

I was stopped from entering SGH's pharmacy when my curosity rose for the cards on the display. The gerneral workers gave a mask and an orange sticker.

The mask SGH's worker gave to the reporter

(TPW PHOTO: Tay Yi Yin)

I then went into the pharmacy.

Only 2 visitors were allowed to visit those warded patients, and children below 12-year-old were not even allowed to visit anyone in SGH. This, is what the hospitals do but they might allow only one visitor to each patient if the Influenza gets more difficult to handle.

Labels: reports

Singapore prepares for

Influenza's outbreaks

though in Yellow Alert.

Reported By Platinum Butterfly

Additional Report By

Corporative Editor Zhang Xin

During the crisis, all local hospitals had prepared for any emergency even the alert level is in Yellow state. Posters were pasted on walls to tell patients to inform staff if they had been to Mexico, USA, UK, Canada, New Zealand or Israel and other 'infected' countries in the past few days.

The number of deaths in Mexico is still rising and one case of death is also reported in America. The A(H1N1) Influenza although is a new virus with presently no cure, it holds more danger than the SARS outbrek in Singapore and killed 33 people during 2003.

The symptoms, however, is showed after 7 days the virus had started spreading, later than the infection period of SARS. In SARS, a person becomes infectious after a few days of having fever. Influenza A(H1N1) is spread without any symptoms, making it 10 times worse than SARS.

Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology is rushing to make a test kit for the virus. On the other hand, travel agencies are cancelling trips to the US.

Labels: reports

Labels: reports

Labels: reports

Labels: reports

Local visitors are being scanned for flu symptoms.

Reported By:

Yoko

"It does not mean that it'll (The Influenza A/H1N1) definitely become a pandemic. But it's better to play safe and assume the worst, rather than hoping that the worst will never come, and when it does, it's too late to respond to it."- Health Minister, Mr Khaw Boon Wan

As you readers should already know, the A/H1N1 Influenza (Formerly known as Swine flu) has already killed 80 people in Mexico, and the numbers are still increasing worldwide. Border checks are being tightened as a precaution and thermal scanners have already been deployed at the arriving halls of Terminals 1,2 and 3, the Budget Terminal, Tuas and Woodlands Checkpoints, Seletar Airport and Singapore's other entry points to screen arriving passengers. In a joint statement with the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, the Health Ministry said that passengers arriving from the United States were being scanned by thermal scanners. Passengers with higher than normal temperature will be made to go through a full health assessment. This is all done for the health of Singaporeans and other passengers. The Health Ministry also says that the health checks are not non-intrusive and are unlikely to cause any delays. Flights in and out of Changi Airport should not be disrupted for this cause. Also, heath notices containing information about A/H1n1 Influenza are also being placed at immigration counters for all arriving passengers. Although no incidence of the virus has been reported, the Health Minister, Mr Khaw Boon Wan, said that it was "better to play safe". He also told reporters that with globalisation, reports of the virus spreading to the United States were a reason of concern. Since the Sars outbreak in 2003, Mr Khaw emphasised that developments in the health-care sector meant that Singapore was in a "much better" position to handle any outbreaks. "It does not mean that it'll definitely become a pandemic. But it's better to play safe and assume the worst," Mr Khaw said, "rather than hoping that the worst will never come, and when it does, it's too late to respond to it." Even with all these measures in place, a stockpile of Tamiflu and Relenza are at ready.What is Tamiflu and Relenza, you ask. They are drugs which, based on preliminary reports in Mexico and the US, has proven to react with the A/H1N1 Influenza virus. Mr Khaw added that the Health Ministry was monitoring the situation closely. He also advised the public to maintain high standards of personal hygiene and to limit the travels to affected areas such as Mexico and the US, if possible. Possibilities of restricting visitor numbers at hospitals as a precautionary measure will not be ruled out. However, Singapore General Hospital (SGH) has already stepped up on measures by way of tighter checks. Patients at SGH's Accident and Emergency department, as well as out-patient clinics, will be asked to alert staff if they have recently travelled to areas affected by the A/H1N1 Influenza. Visitors with similar travel history will also be advised not to visit patients and to seek medical attention immediately if they are feeling unwell. The health-care sector is not the only one beefing up measures against the virus. The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) is ensuring that all incoming pork products are tested for for the virus even though the virus is not spread through consumption and eating properly handled and cooked pork is safe. Although pork imports from the US contribute to 10 per cent of the total imported pork and pork products, pigs import are from AVA-accredited farms located at Pulau Bulan, near Batam in Indonesia. AVA said that surveillance testing these porks will be stepped up to ensure that they are not infected with the virus. The AVA is also in contact with its counterparts in the US, and are working closely with the Health Ministry and other authorities. Even though no pork or pork products are imported from Mexico, the Health Ministry urges all medical staffs to be on alert for any suspected human cases. Members of the public are also advised to consult a doctor if they develop symptoms of A/H1N1 Influenza within 7 days of travel to Mexico, California, Texas and Kansas.

Labels: reports

Labels: reports