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Singapore: Officials in Singapore have made clear that there are currently no cases of Mexican swine flu on the island and that there are enough supplies of Tamiflu stockpile.
Speaking at a news conference, Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng said Singapore has the resources to manage any outbreak, having experienced the 2003 SARS incident.
Nonetheless, he appealed for people not to be complacent or unduly alarmed at the outbreak in Mexico, US and Canada.
Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan, who was also at the news conference, warned that the current outbreak would be long-drawn and people need to be ready for the long haul.
So far, Singapore health officials have dealt with 17 referred cases and right now, three people are undergoing tests to see if they are suffering from a common strain of influenza or an unknown strain, which could raise the possibility of swine flu.
Mr Khaw said that although Singapore is more prepared than six years ago, the Mexican swine flu is not the same as the SARS virus. Describing it as a new war, he cautioned that the swine flu is more challenging, giving three reasons.
Firstly, the swine flu is more contagious. Secondly, patients can be infectious before symptoms appear. Hence, border controls may not be fool-proof and there may be leakages.
Lastly, Mr Khaw said that historically, flu pandemic tends to come in waves. While the initial wave may look mild, the second one can be quite lethal.
So the swine flu pandemic is likely to be long-drawn, and Mr Khaw added that the people must be mentally and psychologically prepared for the long haul.
What is likely going forward is that Singapore will begin to hear local clusters, said Mr Khaw. Singaporeans should therefore not be unduly shocked when it happens. What is important, he stressed, is a response strategy to minimise casualty and fatality.
Mr Khaw said the people can play their part, echoing Mr Wong's appeal to those with flu-like symptoms to see their doctors.
- CNA/sf/ir
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