Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Trinidad and Tobago - Opinion - Confusing H1N1 messages

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Trinidad and Tobago - Opinion - Confusing H1N1 messages

    Confusing H1N1 messages

    Clare Forrester

    Saturday, July 4th 2009

    FLU response personnel are doing a commendable job in explaining the current situation with the pandemic in terms of its uncertainties. Although belated, the message is clear-we just don't know how much the H1N1 virus is likely to spread, and realistically our best hope is that it will fizzle out rather than thrive in the climatic conditions that prevail in the Caribbean at this time of the year.

    If the public has grown less trustful of official pronouncements on the pandemic, this may be because the message has altered radically from one of reassurance that our shores were protected, that "everything was under control" to one of disquiet: "a spread is imminent".

    Less than a month ago Jamaicans learnt that two people had tested positive but that both had recently returned from travelling to an affected country. Two weeks ago, the official reports from the Caribbean Epidemiology Centre (CAREC), the regional body monitoring the pandemic, suggested that there was no real spread in the Caribbean. The June 16 report showed that Jamaica then had 14 cases and Trinidad and Tobago seven. In addition, no cases were reported in some of the countries and where cases were identified, these all related to overseas contacts. That picture has now altered considerably.

    The June 29 update from the WHO shows that Trinidad and Tobago has 53 confirmed cases, Jamaica (29), Suriname (11), Cayman Islands (9), Barbados (10), Antigua and Barbuda (2), and the British Virgin Islands and Dominica one each. The good news is that so far there have been no deaths reported in this region.

    This increasing number of cases has given rise to some consternation in many of the countries in the region, even some that are still to make the list. How else does one explain the turning back of a cruise ship in Grenada, as well as Antigua and Barbados on learning that one of the passengers had flu-like symptoms? Not to be outdone, Jamaican officials announced the closure of schools in one parish following a positive test of samples of two students who showed flu symptoms. Then there is Trinidad and Tobago where an announcement was made recently that the planned inaugural Caribbean Games to be hosted by that country has been cancelled.

    The latter may seem a sensible move on the surface, if one accepts that mass gatherings are to be minimised in times of an epidemic, and so far, Trinidad's number of cases sits at the top in this region. But besides a sneaky suspicion that the cancellation of the games is due to the non-confirmation of the participation of Usain Bolt and other invited mega stars, there are other questions.

    Where is the consistency in terms of other planned mass gatherings during this period, like carnival, crop-over and the Commonwealth summit? Are Caribbean countries following any guidelines that would explain decisions regarding cancellations? If they are, explaining these to the public might help rather than hurt.

    All the signs suggest that this pandemic is mild; the extremely low death count in all the countries where there has been a spread supports this assessment. In fact, it has been reported that annual influenza outbreaks account for many more cases. The creeping public fears in Caribbean countries may in part be driven by the media's positioning of the virus as "deadly" as well as the limited public education initiatives.

    Unquestionably, this pandemic has received far greater media coverage region-wide than any disease outbreaks in recent memory. Some of that is good, but unnecessarily sensationalising the information hurts rather than helps. The "deadly" media theme as projected is exacerbated by images of mask-wearing publics in other countries where there is a spread. One result is that many workers on the front line of the response in Caribbean countries are today calling for masks although there is inconclusive information on their usefulness as a protective agent.

    Additionally, strong public demand for masks globally has led to a shortage. In any case, there would never have been enough to cope, even without this demand. But are masks that essential?

    Some experts argue accurately that masks are not completely effective and may even have some downsides. Using a mask incorrectly may actually increase the risk of transmission. If masks are to be used, this should be combined with other general measures to help prevent transmission. The smart response is to tell people the advantages and disadvantages and let them decide for themselves.

    Few can dispute that there have been some missteps in the messages conveyed to the public initially, but there are indications of a willingness to get back on track and in the process engage more effectively with the public. The June 25 editorial in the Trinidad Express was as responsible as could be expected by a newspaper in a competitive marketplace.

    Demonstrating leadership and transparency with our publics is crucially important, especially faced as we are in this region with the usual prospects of a hot summer, hurricanes, and dengue, we are going to need to earn the confidence of the people - those we are committed to serving in each Caribbean country.

    -Courtesy Jamaica Observer
Working...
X