It seems that SARS, or Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, has caused more widespread panic than the possible spread of terrorist reprisals following the wake of the war in Iraq. The advisory of the World Health Organization to avoid traveling to Hong Kong and Guangdong, China is a necessary precautionary measure these countries had to live with for the moment. China, pegging 46 deaths from SARS, tops the list of victim-countries. As of this writing, 78 have already died worldwide. Aside from people, no doubt, many economies will suffer because of this outbreak.
Current studies reveal that SARS can be spread through close contact with a person infected with the killer plague. The virus, doctors said, could live outside of the body for three hours, and could also be transmitted through inhalation of very small saliva droplets from infected victims. About a month ago, 51 people in Hong Kong were rushed to the hospital because of SARS, 22 of which live on different floors of one apartment building. Doctors believe they caught the virus by inhaling droplets of saliva left behind when an infected person coughed inside the elevator or lobby. Its symptoms are: fever of no less than 80 to 100 degrees; respiratory symptoms like dry cough, shortness of breath, difficulty in breathing, muscle soreness, low platelet count and pneumonia. The virus can be transmitted through a handshake or even pressing an elevator button previously touched by a victim. The chances of infection are so great that health workers who have attended to SARS patients – despite their extensive training – have reportedly been infected by this very contagious and mysterious respiratory sickness. The untimely death of WHO physician Dr. Carlo Urbani – a 1999 Nobel Peace Prize winner from Italy – is an indication that SARS does not choose its victims.
Theories vary on how this epidemic started, but there is no doubt population and pollution had a lot to do with the beginning and spread of the killer disease. Southern China, where SARS was first detected, is known as a very lethal breeding ground for killer viruses because of the millions and millions of pigs and poultry in the area, not to mention that in this part of China, people are packed like sardines – the perfect place for a lethal virus to breed. Unsanitary practices like spitting and incorrect disposal of animal and human wastes are practically doorways for an epidemic.
So far, SARS has not reached Philippine shores, and it appears to be less infectious than influenza, according to WHO experts. But with the way we mismanage our wastes and trash, I am definitely sure it won’t be long before this country contracts the killer disease, or worse, breed a more lethal virus. Why do you think diseases like dengue, H-fever, malaria and tuberculosis are prevalent in the country? Because some Filipinos take hygiene and sanitation for granted. People spit on the streets, throw their trash in potholes and empty lots, piss on walls, and even discard human and animal wastes in rivers and esteros. If you look at our esteros, they are as black as the pit from pole to pole. It doesn’t take a thousand people to start an epidemic. All that a virus needs is one careless host. One can just imagine the kind of havoc and suffering a single SARS-infected person could do if he enters a squatter’s community.
And speaking of squatter communities, the now "famous," "smart," and politically-motivated Joey Lina Law, which encourages squatters to swell in number in Metro Manila, should either be repealed or amended in light of the SARS epidemic. These inhuman living conditions are the perfect breeding grounds for the SARS virus. We don’t want to sound anti-poor, but certainly, this law did not consider sanitary and health implications that would result from the ever-growing squatter communities in the city. These places do not have areas for proper waste disposal, and in most instances, clean water. Flooding in these areas is rampant, and since people live in very close quarters, ventilation is a major problem for both adults and children. It’s bad enough we have to suffer the air pollution and traffic congestion in our city, and now, because of squatting and the manner by which people throw their trash and wastes everywhere, even our drinking water is in peril. We all know that politics is the main reason behind the Joey Lina law, and simply said, to get more votes. Now, because of this law, every single resident of the city is in danger of getting the virus as well. Population, obviously, is a major catalyst. Manila was originally designed for only five million people. Now, there are more than 13 million in the city, and the number continuous to rise. Where do you think the trash and wastes of 13 million people go?
No doubt, if you combine pollution and population with politics, the result would be a plague of epidemic proportions.