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The mum who won't panic
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This S'porean isn't worried despite Melbourne having a huge number of H1N1 cases
05:56 AM Jun 23, 2009
by Agatha Koh Brazil
"IF I were in Singapore watching all this unfold, I'd be scared to visit Melbourne too," says Ping Lee.
Australia's second city may have a huge number of H1N1 cases, yet its residents are not overreacting to the Influenza H1N1 virus pandemic, says Ping, who relocated to Australia five years ago.
The Singaporean now lives with her husband and two daughters aged five and three in one of Melbourne's eastern suburbs.
The World Health Organization moved its rating to "pandemic" level for the first time in 40 years due to the scale of the outbreak in Australia - 2,420 cases reported countrywide as of Sunday.
But really, this episode is "no drama to the Australians", Ping says. "Singaporeans will probably be scared that if they so much as breathed the air in Melbourne, they'd get the dreaded flu," says the 38-year-old.
But, she concurs: "Singapore has a good reason to be on high alert because the population density is so high, whereas in Melbourne - especially in the suburbs where we live and beyond - everyone's more spread out".
Generally, the topic does not seem to warrant more than a passing mention, although there is good awareness on the ground, the freelance illustrator says.
"The subject of H1N1 has never cropped up in conversation among mums at school - though they do talk about it in class so the kids are aware of it, and there has been a heightened awareness of general hygiene at school and in hospitals," she tells Today.
"Recently, the hospital I visited had an anti-bacterial pump at the elevator with an accompanying note. Also, the clinics and hospitals have been inundated with patients, so there is an unspoken awareness of it here in Melbourne.
"However, Melburnians are aware that the current strain of H1N1 is no more potent than your garden-variety seasonal flu.
"The Melbourne seasonal flu is said to be more virulent and severe than H1N1. There have been more cases of death from the seasonal flu in Melbourne than the swine flu," says Ping.
That said, it's winter in the Southern Hemisphere - which means "it's easier to catch anything".
As for masks, "the only place I've seen people wearing masks are at the clinics - and those wearing them are usually Asian", she says. She has masks at home, but those were bought a while back when she was doing some cleaning.
"Because I'm living here, and not just seeing it on the news, it's not such an issue. I think that what is 'bochap' to a Singaporean is 'no dramas' to an Aussie. It drives my sister absolutely bonkers when she's at a checkout counter here in Melbourne and the cashier is yakking to the customer in front and scanning the goods oh-so-slowly."
This laid-back attitude of Australians extends to all parts of their lives, she tells me.
"I've seen many an Aussie on the news whose houses have been burnt down or destroyed by floods, and their response is to give a shrug and say: 'Aw look, that's just a bit of bad luck. It's just stuff. Could've been worse - at least we're alive!'"
So, pandemic or not, the full-time mum says her routine hasn't changed at all.
In Hong Kong, for example, the government has closed all primary, kindergarten, nursery and special schools. Ping, though, has no fears sending her younger daughter to kindergarten.
"They make them wash their hands regularly and the teachers keep a watchful eye over runny noses and the like. It's no different from daily practice. Even before H1N1 struck, they encouraged parents to keep sick children at home, and frowned on those who send their sick kids to kindergarten."
"When I mentioned to friends here that I was being interviewed 'as a mother of two living in the H1N1 capital of the world', I was met with rather amused expressions. They said: 'No point worrying about it. If it happens, then we'll just deal with it'," Ping relates.
Neither has her husband's family in Australia overreacted to the pandemic, she says. "My husband's parents are like us and most Australians - as long as you are on the lookout for any suspicious symptoms, that's all you can do, really.
"But my mum's a Singaporean ... need I say more?"
The mum who won't panic
-----------------
This S'porean isn't worried despite Melbourne having a huge number of H1N1 cases
05:56 AM Jun 23, 2009
by Agatha Koh Brazil
"IF I were in Singapore watching all this unfold, I'd be scared to visit Melbourne too," says Ping Lee.
Australia's second city may have a huge number of H1N1 cases, yet its residents are not overreacting to the Influenza H1N1 virus pandemic, says Ping, who relocated to Australia five years ago.
The Singaporean now lives with her husband and two daughters aged five and three in one of Melbourne's eastern suburbs.
The World Health Organization moved its rating to "pandemic" level for the first time in 40 years due to the scale of the outbreak in Australia - 2,420 cases reported countrywide as of Sunday.
But really, this episode is "no drama to the Australians", Ping says. "Singaporeans will probably be scared that if they so much as breathed the air in Melbourne, they'd get the dreaded flu," says the 38-year-old.
But, she concurs: "Singapore has a good reason to be on high alert because the population density is so high, whereas in Melbourne - especially in the suburbs where we live and beyond - everyone's more spread out".
Generally, the topic does not seem to warrant more than a passing mention, although there is good awareness on the ground, the freelance illustrator says.
"The subject of H1N1 has never cropped up in conversation among mums at school - though they do talk about it in class so the kids are aware of it, and there has been a heightened awareness of general hygiene at school and in hospitals," she tells Today.
"Recently, the hospital I visited had an anti-bacterial pump at the elevator with an accompanying note. Also, the clinics and hospitals have been inundated with patients, so there is an unspoken awareness of it here in Melbourne.
"However, Melburnians are aware that the current strain of H1N1 is no more potent than your garden-variety seasonal flu.
"The Melbourne seasonal flu is said to be more virulent and severe than H1N1. There have been more cases of death from the seasonal flu in Melbourne than the swine flu," says Ping.
That said, it's winter in the Southern Hemisphere - which means "it's easier to catch anything".
As for masks, "the only place I've seen people wearing masks are at the clinics - and those wearing them are usually Asian", she says. She has masks at home, but those were bought a while back when she was doing some cleaning.
"Because I'm living here, and not just seeing it on the news, it's not such an issue. I think that what is 'bochap' to a Singaporean is 'no dramas' to an Aussie. It drives my sister absolutely bonkers when she's at a checkout counter here in Melbourne and the cashier is yakking to the customer in front and scanning the goods oh-so-slowly."
This laid-back attitude of Australians extends to all parts of their lives, she tells me.
"I've seen many an Aussie on the news whose houses have been burnt down or destroyed by floods, and their response is to give a shrug and say: 'Aw look, that's just a bit of bad luck. It's just stuff. Could've been worse - at least we're alive!'"
So, pandemic or not, the full-time mum says her routine hasn't changed at all.
In Hong Kong, for example, the government has closed all primary, kindergarten, nursery and special schools. Ping, though, has no fears sending her younger daughter to kindergarten.
"They make them wash their hands regularly and the teachers keep a watchful eye over runny noses and the like. It's no different from daily practice. Even before H1N1 struck, they encouraged parents to keep sick children at home, and frowned on those who send their sick kids to kindergarten."
"When I mentioned to friends here that I was being interviewed 'as a mother of two living in the H1N1 capital of the world', I was met with rather amused expressions. They said: 'No point worrying about it. If it happens, then we'll just deal with it'," Ping relates.
Neither has her husband's family in Australia overreacted to the pandemic, she says. "My husband's parents are like us and most Australians - as long as you are on the lookout for any suspicious symptoms, that's all you can do, really.
"But my mum's a Singaporean ... need I say more?"
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