Out of the Office

Thanks for you interest. I will be out of the office until Sat 8th May. I am sunning myself in Hainan.

See you all soon,

Emma.

3 Comments 3.5.04 13:17, comment

The story of how a 26 year old lab worker ruined my friends holiday...

Once upon a time two friends decided they were going to go to the beautiful island of Hainan, off the south coast of China, during the national holiday in May. They were both very excited and were looking forward to the sea, sand and surf. A few weeks before they were due to go, one of them, let's call her S, started to feel ill. Nothing serious, just a nasty cough that was persisting. Only a few days before they were due to leave, S decided that there was no way she could go to Hainan. 'Why? Was she feeling worse?' No, in fact she was feeling much better with just a niggly cough that would sometimes creep up on her at night. 'So why did she cancel?'

Ah hah! This bring me to the 26 year old lab worker, from Anhui province. During two weeks in March, this laboratory worker got what she probably thought was excellent experience, working at the Chinese National Institute of Virology in Beijing. This institute is known to be engaged in research involving the SARS coronavirus. On March 25th she became ill. 'Oh my god, did they isolate her, what with the chance of SARS?' No. They sent her to a normal hospital. She was attended by nurses and her mother.

Her mother then returned to Anhui province. 'What? They allowed her mother to travel to another province at the risk of infecting other people?' Yes. She later died. Then, surprise surprise, a nurse who was attending the lab worker became ill. The WHO have classified the nurse and the researcher as probable cases of SARS.

Another lab worker, a 31 year old, was hospitalised in isolation last week as a suspected case of SARS. Not before however, 300 people who have possibly come into contact with the disease, have been identified and put under medical observation. Which brings me to my friend...

She is worried that when she goes to the airport she will be put under medical observation for 2 weeks without being able to see her family and friends... because she has a cough. 'Thats a bit crazy isn't it? Just because of a cough?' You might say that, especially because she has been checked out by a doctor who has confirmed that she does not have SARS. Her reasoning? The same thing happened to her mother during the last outbreak of SARS.

Actually, it's not right to blame the lab worker. Did the doctors and health authorities not consider that a lab worker with similar symptoms to SARS, who is working in an environment where it is possible that she could be exposed to it, should be placed in isolation just in case? Perhaps if they had, they could have saved the life of an innocent woman and the possible life of a young nurse in intensive care.

And my friends' holiday.

2 Comments 26.4.04 06:15, comment

Phew!

Its certainly been a busy two weeks. I'm happy to say that I had a fantastic time and if its possible to fall in love with somebody all over again well then... you know. Although I'm back at school, even that can't dampen my spirits as I only have two more lessons to give before I am finished for the holidays. The kids have exams so I don't have to teach, only mark papers, which isn't nearly as bad. And thats not till Wednesday so I have two days off. Hooray! Then I am off to what is known as the hawaii of China- Hainan Island. So its all sun, surf, and sand for me. I'm going with Chinese-S so i'm determined to come back fluent in Chinese too. Shut up... its possible.

All this going to airports and talking about flights home has made me realise that my time here is really slipping through my fingers. Its weird but I feel that if start to write more again then maybe I can hold on to it somehow. So expect more bloggage.

For my dinner today I went to 'Staple Food Kitchen' on my road and pointed to a variety of pancake/dumpling/wrap things to eat. My favourite was an omlette thing filled with potato. Very yummy. Then I ate half a pineapple before the acid started to eat my tongue. Nice though. As much as I would have loved to know what stuff was before I bought it, it was kind of freeing to just point to stuff and see what happens. And whats the worst that can happen when you only spend 30p.

This week I have been educating the children of China about the environment. Since, as many/none of you may know today is actually Earth Day. Who decided that I don't know, but any excuse for a lesson plan. Actually, I really do care about the environment and try to live a 'green' life as much as I can. So people, when you go to the supermarket today, take some of the carrier bags in the cupboard with you instead of getting new ones. There! I'm helping to save the planet.

Expect more soon....

CORRECTION: If at any point, on any blog the partner of emma_in_china was referred to as sub-standard due to withholding of comedy cartoon family dvds, apologies will henceforth be given. It is noted that emma_in_china is now happily in possession of all three series of said comedy cartoon family show. Thats love for ya.

5 Comments 22.4.04 15:29, comment