The swine flu threat is not being taken so seriously in Western Australia.
Western Australia’s chief health officer Tarun Weeramanthri:
“We definitely have the resources to keep testing people – we have got a strong public health system, we have an excellent laboratory system and we have an excellent surveillance system.
“There may well be cases in Australia.
“The question is not whether the virus comes into Australia but how well can we treat the cases and provide appropriate public health measures, including following up on the contacts and treating the contacts so that you can delay or contain the virus.”
These are the words of an official addressing the swine flu. What we see here is the danger of underestimating the N1-H1 virus. Although there’s no doubt in WA’s strong public health system, as Mr.Weeramanthri puts it, to cope with the swine flu in case it happens, this is simply not enough.
We all know the nature of a virus. It adapts itself to the environment and changes its features as it faces confrontation of any kind. What if the virus changes its face when entering WA?
How many people could be risking their lives until the labs find the solution? Besides, we all know that prevention is always cheaper and easier and wiser than remedy.
Therefore, I think people in the health system must not wait and act passively so that the first case proves positive. Here, more active decisions must be taken to stop the virus entering W.A. in first place. These actions are now being seen all around the world and could be implemented in the same way.
We must all remember that there is no such reliable remedy for any kind of virus. We only find a temporary solution to stop it from spreading. So I repeat:
Prevention is always cheaper and easier and wiser than remedy
Amin Hadjaran