The Aftermath of Paranoia

How did your summer vacation go? Was it fun? Did you hang out with your friends? Did you go to a study tour, or travel to other countries? If you answered “Uh…” or “No” to any of these questions (specifically the last one), then you must have been afflicted by the so-called SARS hysteria!

The news about SARS (or the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome – good acronym!) during the vacation spread like wildfire… quite like the F4 mania the Metro’s experiencing right now. It lorded over every major news story on the evening newscasts, and also on newspapers, tabloids, and the Net. It even overshadowed Bush’s war on Iraq! Never did a day pass without hearing about SARS. I’m glad the disease has finally subsided, Taiwan being the last country to be removed from the World Health Organization’s list of infected areas last July.

To make a little recap, SARS, deemed as ‘the first international health threat of the 21st century’, originated in Guangdong, China. The first known case was documented on November 16, 2002, although the authorities never took much notice about it. Worldwide attention only came when the Chinese Ministry of Health reported an alarming 300 cases and five deaths from SARS on February 2003. Since then, an outbreak of cases (and also fatalities) started flowing in from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Canada, parts of Europe, and Southeast Asian nations including the Philippines, thus the WHO issued a “worldwide health threat” due to the mystery illness on March. Travelers have also been warned from going to SARS-inflicted countries.

SARS is a deadly virus that heavily affects the lungs and you can experience pneumonia-like symptoms once infected. It may also be transmitted from person to person on a very high risk. On the last count, there were about 800 people reported dead. Having said that, SARS is like an ‘unseen terrorist’, slowly slithering and attacking its victims at the worst possible moment. SARS damaged ever afflicted country’s tourism and economy in its duration. It was a good thing, though, that SARS didn’t spread in the Philippines in disastrous proportions unlike in other Asian nations, thanks to the quick preventive measures and the successful information campaign of the DOH – and perhaps the sweltering hot weather? If not, we would have been hiding in our homes; or we have worn masks like the people in Hong Kong and hurriedly scurry away when someone sneezes! And have you ever wondered, “What if the SARS outbreak happened on school days?”

Isn’t it amazing how much SARS has affected us? When someone coughs or sniffles, people around mutter “SARS!” one way or the other. (Even at the classroom these days!) The must-have fashion articles of summer were masks – with designs, beads and all! We even took advantage of the situation by making jokes, like the endless “bra mask” text messages!

But on more serious note, SARS was pretty damaging too. It prevented people from taking a real break, like going out of town; and it also made students cancel their study trips to Beijing. SARS was also used to sabotage places and business establishments. During the height of the outbreak in the country, rumors were spreading that Chinatown, specifically Ongpin, has been contaminated with the SARS virus that they discouraged people from going to the area. The rumors weren’t true anyhow. They were obviously meant to devastate businesses and make people hysteric over the situation.

SARS is undeniably a very harmful disease, but in my opinion, it was more of the fear than the actual illness that increased our awareness. We knew we would be quite safe from SARS, but what terrifies us was what we didn’t know. You stayed away from crowds and people. When someone coughs, you rush to the doctor in a heartbeat! You didn’t want to go to the malls on Sundays because of the possible chance of contracting the disease somewhere out there. Smart moves, but it could also be unreasonable to a point. It’s like you’re not living normally anymore! You’ve confined yourself to useless anxiety, instead of enjoying the outside world! And this is more harmful than SARS or any other ailment. Being paranoid, you’ll soon feel old, confused and cranky, more than you’ll imagine. Totally unhealthy.

I say: Don’t fear! Fear only generates stress and bad aura. Remember that the best defense is offense. There are tons of other ways to prevent contagion than by locking yourself up to your surroundings. And it isn’t as if being SARS-infected means you’re off to death row – it is treatable! You don’t need to make a 360-degree lifestyle change. Keep yourself fit. When the mind is stable, the body functions right. So ward off all those negative thoughts and live life to the fullest!

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Note: This article appeared in The Judenites, June-Aug 2003 issue.
(as Features Editor)