Swine Flu Thailand: Clean Up
In what to many may seem a desperate move to control swine flu among school students the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration yesterday closed around 400 schools in the Thai capital for a clean up. Meanwhile schools under direct Ministry of Education control in the city remain open as do most other schools throughout the country. This move follows close behind the government decision to close tutorial schools and seek voluntary closure of Internet cafes for a two week period.
Thai TV newscasts yesterday carried pictures of students and staff from the closed schools actually at their school washing everything with soap and water. Now I am not a flu expert but I do know that the virus has a limited life span once it is released from the host so washing desks and the like would seem to be a bit of a wasted effort.
True it might create a feel good factor or be a booster to public confidence but you only have to look at the news pictures of Pattaya bar girls scrubbing the street of that city a few weeks ago to realise there is a thin dividing line between fact and what might well be seen as government propaganda.
One of the best pieces of advice given by all leading authorities to avoid contamination is frequent hand washing using soap and water. Now this is fine if you are at home but if you visit a public toilet or indeed one at a place of entertainment or school in Thailand, while there may be running water, there is never any soap.
Its just a thought but perhaps the powers that be might be better employed spending funds on providing decent hand washing facilities rather than wasting soap and water cleaning desks and corridors at the countries schools.
When Avian Flu, which continues to threaten Thailand, is detected the most effective way of dealing with it seems to be by culling chickens. Which leaves me hoping that the boffins who thought up the swine flu clean up don't suddenly come up with a plan to employ the Avian Flu approach to infected students, if cleaning the countries schools fails to halt the spread of the virus.
OK I promise to clean up my act, no more swine flu news from Thailand this week.
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