First it was Swine Flu, but the pig farmers complained so it was renamed Mexican flu. Then the diplomats thought it would be bad for foreign relations so it was renamed the new 2009 flu. But along the way there is so much spin going on that it could be spun into a surgical mask to protect people against flu.
Only that would not work either. Surgical face masks are not designed to protect against infection from swine flu influenza (yes, that is what most of the world except Thailand calls it) or other airbourne diseases as when someone inhales, a lot of air is taken in from the sides. It may well protect against some influenza carrying droplets from being coughed or sneezed straight in your face, but that is just about it. Viruses can stay airbourne in water droplets for hours after someone has sneezed in a room, or a train for that matter.
The UK recommends FFP3 masks which have a tight seal around the contact with the face. They even go so far as to recommend a clean shave with no facial hair to ensure no leakage. That would be bad news for strict Muslims, or maybe Influenza is a secret weapon from the west designed to wipe out Islamic health workers.
Meanwhile, back in the land of Paraside (Thailand), Public Heath Minister Wittaya Kaew-Paradise (yes, that really is his name) has reacted to the panic buying and profit mongering (isn't capitalism great?) that, combined with ignorance, had driven the price of the surgical masks up to around 8 Baht, by by promising a budget "blue-flag" surgical mask for sale for 5 Baht.
Yes, instead of letting the evil capitalists feed on the ignorant masses to the tune of 800 percent profit, our benevolent leaders are now guaranteeing us peace of mind, and little else, for a mere 500 percent mark-up.
Ignorance is a bliss, so they say, but in this case it might prove deadly. Letting the ignorant masses have peace of mind might not be that horrendous an idea, but letting healthcare professionals, the doctors and nurses, go around without proper respirator masks could render Thailand without any healthy front line healthcare professionals when things really turn bad.
Thailand might not be rich enough to buy FFP3 masks for every single voter (yes, that is probably how politicians think), but to withhold that information from the public and keep everyone in the dark just to give an illusion of protection is at best reckless, at worst a recipie for a rather large number of dead people and perhaps even social unrest.
That said, the NHS does recommend the use of surgical masks, but not on the healthy. Rather it is to be given to those who think they may be ill to keep the virus in and keeping their coughs from spewing out the little piglets into the air.
Moving on, the other problem that Thailand has is this obsession with being "normal". Reports have been coming in of people being refused boarding buses and taxis if a mask is worn. Yes, of course, anyone protecting themselves is scare mongering so we should all pretend nothing is happening and all get infected.
What is wrong with being normal in an abnormal society? There is a Thai saying that if you enter the land of people with squint eyes, one must also squint. But is that right? Is that sustainable an attitude for our society to adopt in the long run? People who say the uncomfortable truth are condemned. Those who stand up for the truth are villified. Those who give us sugar coated lies get red shirts and promises that every province He speaks in will be the most developed province in Thailand if He comes back.
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