Thursday, July 9, 2009

Too close for comfort

Not only has H1N1 reached our shores, we now have community transmissions here too. It breached the 1000 mark some 2 days ago.

I believe contact tracing now is not as vigorous as previously .... only those in direct/close contact are notified, and are quarantined or told to monitor themselves more closely.

My daughter came back on the 1st day school reopened and mentioned to me that the school advised them to practice social distancing. That was a new word to me!! She said they were advised to keep a safe 1 meter distance from their friends wherever possible. We had a good laugh about that, as she said that would mean canteen queues would reach the school's main gate.

Yesterday, she came home from school and said that there was a new H1N1 (there was one other girl in her school that had contracted H1N1 but that was during the school hols - so no panic on our part!) case in her school. OMG!! My brain went into over-drive!

Do you know her? What level is she from? What are they doing about it? Have all the students in that class been told to stay home? Have the teachers been quarantined? Is school going to be closed?

Luckily my daughter doesn't know her as she is from a more senior level. School continues as usual. Now canteen tables are set 1 meter apart (and it extends right out of the canteen), as are desks in classrooms. However, no teachers have been quarantined - only 8 girls who have been in close contact with the case have been told to stay home.

We always have this belief that these things only happen to others, not to anyone we know personally. BUT - it is now a little too close for comfort!

5 comments:

Yan said...

Remember I wrote in the facebook the lady sitting face to face to me sneezing and coughing all the way. I was sort of "scare" inside, but thought I should not over-react.

This morning I was in the steam and steam the made me just cough two small coughs. The lady in the steam room looked at me, stood up and went out! OK, I have the room all by myself, with no bug!

That's social distancing, I guess. Today I learn a new word - thanks to your sweet daughter. Next time she could have more desserts!

iml said...

This H1N1 is making us very anti-social.
Suspecting every other person to be a carrier.

stay-at-home mum said...

Yan - Thanks for giving me an idea - next time I want the sauna to myself, I will cough a few times!! LOL!!

iml, you are right, but thats what happens if you dont want to catch it. As for me, its que sera sera - if the Lord has planned it to be, then so be it.

Jo said...

Well, my daughter's school too supposedly had a case, but nothing was really done about it, except we see randomly, students wearing masks.. I don't know. I'm just remaining calm about it. When I was having the flu, I told my husband, for all you know, I may be having the swine flu right now, and (we) won't even know! How to differentiate?

TripleJin said...

Heh..in my son's school, had many cases of H1N1. It's all a big hoo-ha, honestly. Just maintain good hygiene. In classes, if anyone sneezes or coughs, are supposed to sanitise their hands (with the non-water sanitisers). Also to sneeze/cough into their elbows.

Sad thing is..my hub's co still won't allow him to travel back. And the kids miss him so much. Bleargh...