I added another count down timer till our lockdown is over.
There has been some waffling on this date:
“we will re-test everyone in 2 days and if there are no more cases we may lift the quarantine”
But if they retest, and there are more positives….. I don’t really want to contemplate that…
Update: To no one’s surprise they did not retest anybody.
And the kicker: The students that tested positive and were hospitilized have been released from the hospital and roaming the streets of Cairo. And we, who tested negative are still stuck in lockdown.
It is times like these when I think the egyptians deserve their government and vice versa.
2 replies on “So I have some free time on my hands….”
Jack, I know how glib this sounds but use this imposed quarantine time to become more aware. Your host country’s health ministry is behaving no differently to a typical US Mom, Melbren (see EM below).
The current version of this virus is evolving… The responsibility of all folk involved in health is to utilize “containment measures” as a tool for hindering pathways through which “swine flu” could easily become a high mortality virus, evolving within an Egyptian co-infected with “bird flu” for example (see ProMED-mail below).
I notice in an earlier post you wrote there are five confirmed on-site cases of H1N1/2009. I am surprised ProMED-mail are reporting only two!?!
Anyway, I share your fear and confusion, matey — I was crying my eyes out last night due to impotent frustration from experiencing a Stephen King novel come to life — Jonathon
Effect Measure — “Swine flu: Drive-by Tylenol and other community crimes” By Revere (June 9, 2009)
http://scienceblogs.com/effectmeasure/2009/06/swine_flu_drive-by_tylenol.php
Reader posting #20 excerpt by melbren (June 9, 2009):
“I am no longer looking at 2009 swine flu from the standpoint of containment, per se. I am now looking at it from the standpoint of containing its wrath upon my loved ones…”
ProMED-mail — “Influenza A (H1N1) – worldwide (60): Egypt (Cairo)” (June 9, 2009)
http://www.promedmail.org
Editorial excerpt re: H1N1/2009 virus confirmation in two foreign students of the American University of Cairo and on-site quarantine of another 140 students by ProMED-mail:
“This new outbreak is particularly concerning as there is concurrent circulation of H5N1 virus in both human and poultry populations, increasing the pathways by which a highly transmissible and high mortality virus could evolve. ProMED-mail will be interested in the sequence of events following the detection of cases of influenza A (H1N1) in Egypt. – Mods.FE/PC”
Hi, I’m the BBC Arabic TV correspondent in Cairo. Would you be interested in doing a report for us from inside the hostel?
Let me know… my number is 0101762043
Cheers