No time for complacency
Seldom in recent history has an illness done so much damage to so many countries in so short a time as the current outbreak of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), which is currently on its way through parts of the world, leaving a trail of ruination in its wake.
It has been argued that a fear of the virus itself may be a bigger hazard to the well-being of people in this region than SARS could ever be. After all, more people in this region die every day from typhoid, dengue fever and malaria than the total who have succumbed to SARS. And even if, say, the 1,572 cases in Hong Kong with SARS symptoms should eventually be identified as confirmed cases, that would still only be a tiny percentage of the city's total population. As usual, the media is blamed for making the illness seem much more sensational than it really is.
To be sure, of course, the present SARS outbreak cannot be compared to the black death, which, historians say, halved the population of Europe in the 14th century. In comparison, the SARS scare that is currently keeping the world, and especially East and Southeast Asia, in a vise of fear, may seem paltry indeed, at least in terms of population statistics.
However, one only has to look at the newspapers to realize that the present SARS scare is not merely about population figures or even health. The illness, which is caused by a mutant form of the coronavirus, is highly contagious. It spreads with the ease of the common flu and can be fatal. And although scientists were quick to identify the virus, no cure or vaccine that could curb the spread of the virus has been found. According to the latest reports, a new mutant and even more virulent form of the virus has apparently emerged in China.
Given the high mobility of people in this region, the ease of contamination and the generally inadequate health facilities that are available in many places in this part of the world, people are certainly justified to fear the virus. But what makes SARS a health hazard on a scale that has not been seen in recent decades is the tremendous impact that it has on various aspects of life -- economic and social being foremost among them.
In China, the economic driving engine of the Asia-Pacific region where 3,303 cases and 148 deaths have been reported so far, tourism, both domestic and foreign, has collapsed as visitors shun the country. Analysts are further downgrading their estimates for that country's economic growth this year and retail sales are weakening. Business in general is slowing down. The impact that all this has on countries in the region that rely to a large extent on their trade and investments from China can be imagined -- not to mention the direct effects that the SARS scare has already had on their economies.
Hence the seriousness with which many countries in this region are treating the outbreak, as is well reflected in the joint declaration that was issued on Tuesday after a summit meeting of the 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) heads of state and government in Bangkok -- the first summit ever held in this region solely for the purpose of discussing steps to be taken to fight a virus. The presence of Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao added further weight to the conference.
Through the document the leaders pledged, among other things, to tighten their control of immigration and customs procedures, including the tighter screening of travelers departing and arriving in their respective countries. Prime Minister Wen, whose country has been criticized for having covered up the virus initially, assured the ASEAN leaders that, "I have come to face reality and the world bravely. Please believe the government and people of China."
Prime Minister Wen's assurance is certainly welcome news. It remains to be seen whether Indonesia matches China's efforts and starts facing the SARS outbreak in greater earnest. The fact that so far "only" one probable case of SARS has died should be no reason for us to be complacent and to take the matter lightly. Of course, panic and hysteria must be avoided. But whether or not the fear of SARS is rational, all measures must be taken to make sure that the virus is brought under control. Indonesia has enough problems without another crisis hitting this country. The current SARS outbreak, therefore, warrants that we treat it as a most serious case.