Fear and Rumor Mongering Over COVID-19 in Cambodia Must Stop

Fear and Rumor Mongering Over COVID-19 in Cambodia Must Stop

Western doctors already in Cambodia to help local doctors in screening of passengers from MS Westerdam said that fear and irresponsible spreading of rumors is not helping matters in tackling the COVID-19 issue.

Speaking at Sihanoukville port to Khmer Times, the doctors, who declined identity said: “People have to ask themselves the questions as follows: Would we be on board the vessel with adequate protective clothing to check the passengers?

“Would the Government officials, the United States Ambassador and his family, along with other diplomatic officials be on board the ship if the risk was that high? Do not confuse the MS Westerdam with the Diamond Princess as that vessel already had the COVID-10 victims while here, there was none, just 20 who were not ill.

“It has nothing to do with the testing methodology as Pasteur Institute is more than capable of testing the genomes for COVID-19 as it is in constant communications with similar institutions around the world, including the CDC of the United States, China where the outbreak took place and WHO,” they expressed.

They added that stigmatizing Malaysia over the one case detected while her husband did not contract the virus is incompatible and illogical arguments. It is similar to saying that because one passenger was detected, the others must also be positive which is simply ridiculous and outrageous and meant to create panic for unknown gains.

“People should stop questioning the reasons as to why one was detected and the other not. There were 145 passengers on the flight from MS Westerdam. They were tested and cleared. The victim might have been in the incubation stage. There are unknowns. So, do not speculate.”

Medical and public health experts agree that contact with passengers and crew of the MS Westerdam is considered low risk for exposure to COVID-19.

Risk is determined by the distance (less than 6 feet) and duration (more than 15 consecutive minutes) of exposure to a person with confirmed COVID-19 infection. Outdoor or large indoor spaces such as the airport departure hall reduce risk because of greater ventilation.

“They should wonder why the first and only Cambodian victim of COVID-19, a Chinese man was infected while his family members who were staying with him did not. The same logic applies to the Man admitted for observation in Malaysia.

“There are opportunists out there who are trying to take a medical situation, spin it and disperse it widely without looking at the consequence of fake or rumor mongering when they don’t even understand how the disease is communicated or spread.”

The Institute for Medical Research (IMR) began with a recommendation in 1900 to establish a Pathological Institute in Malaya to carry out scientific and sustained research into the causes, treatment and prevention of such scourges as beri-beri and all forms of malaria fevers.

This proposal was made following the resolution in Europe of the Conference of Berlin in 1885 to undertake such activities as “to promote the moral and material well-being of the native population and to explore the great and unknown field of tropical medicine”.

“The IMR has since expanded her role and made significant contributions to biomedical research and other medical disciplines. The research efforts of the IMR have contributed significantly to the knowledge, understanding, treatment and control of some major tropical diseases in the country and region including beri-beri, malaria, cholera, typhoid, smallpox, leprosy, tuberculosis, filariasis, dengue, scrub typhus and nutrient deficiencies,”

he contributions of the IMR in biomedical research, technical training and advisory consultation at the national, regional and international levels have led to the recognition and appointment of the Institute as the:

World Health Organization (WHO)

WHO Collaborating Centre for Ecology, Taxonomy and Control of Vectors of Malaria, Filariasis and Dengue (since 1985)

WHO Regional Centre for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases and Nutrition (since 1978)

WHO National Influenzae Centre

WHO Poliomyelitis Reference Laboratory

Western Pacific Region Index Medicus (WHO)

SEAMEO-TROPMED Regional Centre for Microbiology, Parasitology and Entomology (since 1967) with the conduct of two internationally recognized diploma courses;

Secretariat of the Inter-Islamic Network for Tropical Medicine (INTROM);

International Life Science Institute (ILSI) (Southeast Asian Branch) (since 1996).

Thus, they have more experience in diagnosing these disease and as such, people with lack of information should not bring a political agenda into the positive diagnosis of one patient amongst 145 in Malaysia.

“It happens for many reasons, and some of this has been highlighted above,” the medical experts said, adding that rumor mongering did not do the medical personnel and favours nor to the Cambodian population at large.

Not everything has a hidden agenda.

Source: Khmer Times