Trinidad vs Swine Flu

T&T Health Minister Jerry Narace

If this Swine Flu/H1N1 thing gets really serious…we’re looking at a lot of deaths or infections in Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean. I’d go as far as to say we’re in serious risk of just all being wiped out. No I’m not sensationalizing the issue, its just based on how things have happened so far.

Firstly, Swine Flu just broke loose in Mexico, and is spreading like wildfire in the U.S, Asia and Europe.

Trinidad’s Under-17 Football team visited Mexico (where they got hammered 7-0) at the time of the outbreak and is now back in the country. T&T Health Minister Jerry Narace said the Under-17 Football team “will be quarantined upon their arrival at Piarco International Airport they will subsequently be monitored to ensure they were not infected”

Narace’s idea of quarantine is for the team to be holed up at a hotel for 24 hours (not sufficient time to test for anything) and to have GUESTS VISIT THEM, and for there to be absolutely no testing of the footballers with the H1N1 reagent which is necessary for it to be confirmed whether they have the virus or not. Furthermore the team was released shortly after their 24 hour vacation and they used public transportation to get home.

Then there are the misinformed authorities who ironically are on the airwaves “informing” us. One Tobago doctor even said they have a vaccine for the h1n1 virus (the entire world doesn’t have one, but he does apparently).

Also blatant lies are being told by public officials such as Jerry Narace, who said screening is performed at the Piarco International Airport for certain arrivals from Latin America. Its since been revealed however that absolutely no screening is being done at the airport.

So basically its the same old same old, disorganized nonsense from the government of Trinidad and I would expect other countries of the Caribbean are the same. Only thing is this isn’t the West Indies cricket team its about responding to a very serious, deadly virus. We have an epidemic out there and no visitors are screened, the health facilities are in piss-poor condition and there are a bunch of unaccounted illegal immigrants just waltzing straight into the country every day.

Trinidad 0 ; Swine Flu 10