H1N1 and School Exams...

You know why H1N1 is having a field day in many schools? Cos it's exam season at school now. Internal exams, mind you. Not the public ones! Student presents flu-like-symptoms; fever, cough, running nose, sore throat. Now what is he supposed to do in this H1N1 season? The DG of Health has said... best to take 7 days off so that others don't get infected. Stay away from others! But do you think this sick fler can do that? Nah!!

What do you think the school heads are telling the students? "Fever also must come school because it's exam. If you don't come, you'll get a zero!" So, students get worried. They go see the doc, take their medicine, suppressed the fever and go to school and infect their classmates. I had a class this morning and coughing and sniffing among students were going off like a symphony! All because the Headmaster and Principals say they must go or else. Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education cannot work hand in hand!

You tell me.. we all crazy or not. If this had been a more virulent strain of virus... most of us would be dead. And exams won't matter to dead people. I wonder whether these HMs and Principals would continue to go to work if they have a fever. And many of them have underlying problems too.

Last week, a teacher in a neighbouring school died and it kinda shook many of us up. He had fever the week before. It subsided and he went to his school's motivational camp to give a talk on his subject. Two days later he was dead... the private hospital he went, but never even managed to get diagnosed, ruled that it was probably a heart attack. Now, this was one of the guru cemerlang... highly in demand for talks at this time of the year... SPM is around the corner. He had been very busy going around. Did H1N1 had something to do with his death? I don't know. But all we know is he had fever and some of the students and teachers who were in contact with him at the motivational camp he attended a couple of days before he passed away have also developed fevers. I think he underestimated what the flu might pushed his body to react.... May he R.I.P.

Later in the day, I read in Malaysiakini that a teacher had died in a prominent school in Subang Jaya. At least the parents are demanding for explanation.... despite denials from the school and all that! Just take a look at measures at schools... they are shockingly lacking; from hygiene to lack of concern from the admin.

Well, this virus kinda punishes your body heavily... you don't get enough rest, I guess it could do you in. Lately, people have been paying more attention to deaths.... not that deaths don't happen everyday. But all of a sudden, everyone is more interested why a person died.... and if fever had something to do with it... then everyone gets more worried. But it still doesn't make them do the sensible thing. Strange isn't it? To be fearful and yet not able to do the right thing? Kinda reminds me of those people who spout holy stuff from their mouths all the time but cannot live up to their 'spoutings'.

It's natural to die... but to die from something preventable like flu... to die because of the incompetence and idiocy of the people who are supposed to know how to make the right decisions.... well, that's stupid right?

So, HMs and H1N1... you see another set of idiocy... It doesn't end there cos when it gets down to the parents, they are also unable to do the sensible thing. They send their children to school in their state of unwell, fever suppressed by panadol to sit for their exams cos they don't want their children to get zero... another set of idiocy.

Then there is another set of parents whose children are sick... they say their children want to go to school... they cannot stop them... two sets of idiocy here; both the parents and kids. Kids; understandable cos they don't think quite straight. Parents don't seem to see that their kids don't think straight these days. I think parents treat kids too much like adults now.... letting them make decisions which they are not ready to make. Between desires and the sensible thing.... which one will a kid gravitate towards?

I'll digress and talk about another set of idiocy.. school trips and camps. Is it wise to have it now? I think not. But there are many who feel that the camps should run as usual... in-house training run as usual... all the congregation of people. Trips too... you put everyone together and infection will spread... again no brainer. Again another set of idiocy.

See? We are all idiots! Idiots cos the sensible and right thing is so clear to see yet we don't have it in us to see to it! The undoing will be our own doing!