You are encouraged to.... but....

It's now 215pm and I'm typing this on my Lotus Notes.

I don't mean to whine but I'm so frustrated right now.. well not as bad as this morning.
Because of the H1N1 flu, Singapore is in a fight (no flight) mode. MOH has issued an orange alert and everyone is taking temperature, people in hospitals are wearing surgical mask along the corridor, N95 mask if you have less than 1metre contact with patients. I understand the anxiety we all have, I certainly do not want to take chances and have a widespread epidemic here like the SARS period and I certainly do want everyone to be safe and sound. And I definitely do not want to bring the virus home with me.

BUT....

Sometimes I can't help but feel that it's may be an over reaction... South Korea has 2 confirmed cases, HK 1 and some Singaporeans are quarantined in the HK hotel and yes, it may be coming or it's already here as I type. I have a colleague in the next cubicle coughing persistently .. should I be scared? is she infected? well.. she could be. Anyone here could be. We wear our masks almost all the time, but we DO have to take it off when we eat and when we do.. we breathe in the virus and for those with URTI.. passes it on.

In Germany, there was a patient who was admitted for something else but developed the flu as an inpatient. He passed it on to the nurse taking care of him who unfortunately was not wearing a mask. That is so suay. Haiz.

But I really hate it when we are encouraged to do certain things but it has an underlying threat beneath.

Like...

You are encouraged not to travel to affected countries unless necessary (this I understand) BUT if you do travel to any countries that became listed as one of the affected countries while you are there, you will need to do a nasal swab or be quarantine for 7 days on your personal time (AL). Oh, and the swab cost around $250 and guess what? I'll have to pay for it and not my company.

That's not the part that makes me angry.

Healthcare workers are encouraged to go for the flu jab.
There's no official email on this but I heard from my supervisor that if you do not have the jab and you get H1N1, the company will not pay for your medical fee.

What the *&%^*%* !!!
Hahaha.

No thank you, I'm not going to have virus jabbed into me. The vacinnation is not for H1N1, it's for northern and southern hemisphere seasonal flu and this vacnine do not guarantee that you will not get H1N1.

Geez.

Anyway, Vaxigrip has lots of side effects and I really do not want to have fever or scarly get Guillain-Barre syndrome. Ok, that's like 1% only .. but read what happen in 1976.

Excuse me while I go take my temperature.