H1N1 prevention: A health officer places a surgical mask on a man suspected of having H1N1 influenza during a simulation exercise to curb the spread of the flu in Sanur, Bali, in May. (JP/Zul Trio Anggono)

Your comments on the continued increase of H1N1 influenza cases and what the government should do to prevent the diseases from spreading to wider areas in this country.

The Indonesian government has to coordinate and work together with the other governments all over the world to prevent the virus from spreading.

This is a global problem.

E. Nurdin

Jakarta

Dozens of flu cases in a population of 230 million is not worthy of being called newsworthy.

It would be better if the media focused on issues that killed tens of thousands each year, such as death from incorrect medical diagnoses and drugs.

Evan Jones

Batam, Riau Islands

There is much evidence that thermal screening at airports cannot possibly prevent flu-infected people from entering the country. People can be infectious one or two days before they develop fever.

There is minimal evidence, if any, that thermal screening can “slow” the inevitable spread of

influenza. Thermal screening is for show.

It is to demonstrate that a government is “doing something”. Ironically, all it does is set governments up to look like they failed.

Better if they announced at the start: We cannot keep this out. We will try various measures to slow the spread, and to “flatten” the peak, so that hospitals will be less overwhelmed, and so fewer people are absent from crucial infrastructure jobs at once.

Governments have created the demand that they keep the pandemic “out”.

Now they are reaping the criticism for failing to match the expectations they have created.

But they have an answer ready: “The spread is not unexpected.” Oh really? Then why didn’t you say so at the start?

Checki

Jakarta

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