(EDITORIAL from the Korea Times on Sept. 7)

Combating Influenza
Main Battle With New Epidemic Has Just Begun

Health experts have long warned that September will be the start of the real
battle with the influenza A (H1N1) virus. But it was not until after students
returned to school and the daily outbreak of patients exceeded 200 that the
government upgraded the headquarters coping with the new flu to a quasi-disaster
control headquarters and came up with comprehensive measures to fight the new
epidemic.
As prevention and treatment are almost all there is to combat an epidemic, it is
natural the government has vowed to do all it can to secure as much vaccine and
antiviral drugs such as Tamiflu as possible.
However, it won't be until December at the earliest that widespread vaccination
starts and its effects begin to be seen. This means the nation will have to
resort to thorough quarantine and treatment over the next two to three months.
And it is where the government's calm, effective leadership becomes vital.
It is questionable, however, whether the health authorities are ready to take
swine flu by the horns. It defies our understanding why the bureaucrats here have
to wait until the 11th hour whenever a major crisis ??? even fully anticipated
ones ??? come. Then they exaggerate the danger, unnecessarily scare the public
and respond to it with makeshift steps without a well-organized control tower.
Some heads of public health centers in Gyeonggi Province even went on "overseas
training" ??? a euphemism for a sightseeing trip ??? just before the nation saw
its first casualty from the new influenza.
Such being the case, it is a small surprise that the schools, one of the most
risky fountains of infection, are ill-prepared to take adequate quarantine
measures ??? being devoid of ear thermometers, flu masks and hand sterilizers. No
less problematic are hospitals, some of which even turn away people suspected of
infection for fear of driving out other patients. Some clinics, designated by the
health authorities as "base hospitals" in combating type A flu, complain that the
government has provided little support and is just making various demands.
Although the time has come for the nation to start its fight against the new flu,
most people don't know what to do to contain it. Ignorance fans the fear, so it
is important that the government take a well-prepared and organized approach, by
providing support to hospitals, organizations and individuals who need its help
at the right moment.
The government and public alike need to handle the situation with calm, cautious
attitudes. Excessive fears could be as damaging as mistakes out of carelessness
in this case.
(END)