SARS causing paranoia among Jakartans<\/p>\n
Sari P. Setiogi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
A babysitter has just been temporarily laid off. Not because of
\nincompetence, but because her boss has become overly cautious
\nabout the spread of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).<\/p>\n
\"I've just dismissed my son's babysitter temporarily. My
\nhusband and I think it will be safer if we take care our son
\nourselves during the SARS alert,\" said Yuniarti Kho, 27, a mother
\nof a 19-month baby.<\/p>\n
Yuniarti was shopping at the Plaza Senayan, South Jakarta, on
\nWednesday with surgical mask covering her mouth. Several layers
\nof tissue paper were evident from behind her mask, presumably for
\nextra protection.<\/p>\n
On Wednesday there were seven suspected SARS patients being
\ntreated at the Sulianti Saroso respiratory hospital in Sunter,
\nNorth Jakarta. There is also one in Banyuwangi, East Java, and
\none in Surakarta, Central Java.<\/p>\n
Director General for Communicable Disease Eradication and
\nEnvironmental Health Dr. Umar Fahmi Achmadi told The Jakarta Post
\non Tuesday that an empirical study has shown that a SARS-infected
\nperson could transmit the disease to an average of 46 other
\npeople in two weeks.<\/p>\n
That is in comparison to tuberculosis patients who infect 15
\nother people a year on average.<\/p>\n
The disease is thought to be transmitted primarily by a
\ncoughing SARS sufferer when people nearby breathe in the
\nmicroscopic droplets. Some also believe that they can be infected
\nby airborne transmission, but no doctors have proven that.<\/p>\n
While some people here are totally unaware of the new ailment,
\nothers have taken precautions in their own way.<\/p>\n
\"I've reduced the number of times I go shopping in malls. And
\nof course, I prefer to leave my baby at home,\" said Yuniarti,
\n\"Like today, I have to shop here because we are running out of
\nmeat. When I am done, I will go home directly.\"<\/p>\n
She said that now she had her mother-in-law take care of her
\nbaby son at home while she was away.<\/p>\n
\"I also prefer not to touch anything carelessly. Now I cover
\nmy hand with a tissue first,\" said the young woman, who used a
\ntissue before touching a door handle or an elevator button.<\/p>\n
\"I do not care if people think I am paranoid, but I believe it
\nis better for me to take such precautions than feel regret
\nlater.\"<\/p>\n
Angelina, an expatriate woman, also said that her husband now
\nforbade her and their children from ice-skating at Taman Anggrek
\nin West Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"My husband said the number of SARS-infected people was
\nincreasing out there,\" she said.<\/p>\n
She added that she doubted the government's statement that
\nsaid there were no confirmed cases of SARS in the country.<\/p>\n
Davina, a public relations associate, said now she washed her
\nhands more often when visiting public places.<\/p>\n
\"Once, I had just washed my hands, but then I touched the
\ntoilet door handle. I instantly felt that my hands were dirty
\nagain, so I washed them again,\" she said, laughing. She said she
\nthen used a tissue to open the door.<\/p>\n
Even though many people said that they preferred to avoid
\nshopping malls and public places, the management of several
\npublic places denied any decrease in the number of visitors.<\/p>\n
General Manager of Plaza Senayan, Budiyono, said that they had
\na constant number of visitors. \"During weekends, we still have
\nabout 11,000 to 12,000 cars in the parking garage as usual.\"<\/p>\n
He also said the management had not yet made their staff
\nmembers wear protective masks.<\/p>\n
Metty Sander, public relations officer from the Sea World
\nIndonesia in Ancol, North Jakarta, also claimed that the SARS
\nalert had not yet affected the number of visitors. \"We still have
\nabout 1,500 visitors during weekdays and 4,000 to 6,000 on
\nweekends,\" she said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/sars-causing-paranoia-among-jakartans-1447893297",
"image": ""
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