Sanitation the key
I'm not at all surprised to hear Taiwan is the fastest outbreak spot for SARS, as I read from foreign newspapers. I get the impression those in power here are more concerned about being seen to combat SARS rather than actually taking the most effective measures.
There have been extreme measures, such as army personnel spraying streets with bleach, disinfectant strips of carpet at airports and mass issuing of face masks and disinfectants by local governments. Hospital heads have fallen where possible, as have other sacrificial chickens when they could be found. Quarantines for large areas, with harsh penalties for those who disobey, have been enforced in places where an outbreak has occurred.
Yet authorities could be doing much better if they thought a bit more. SARS can be spread by contact, by air, and most importantly can survive for days in human excrement. Taiwan has woefully inadequate sanitation. In most cities, raw sewage runs through the storm drains at the roadside, separated from the street by a mere grate through which cockroaches pass at will.
If ever there was a time for county and city governments to pressure Taipei for funds to upgrade their sanitation infrastructure, now is it.
Second, research in other countries has shown that the highest concentrations of urine in the home and workplace is in the wallet. People go to the pub or nightclub, handle money all night and go to the bathroom with increasing frequency and decreasing competence as the night goes on.
Last Saturday I went to a breakfast place and the woman who was cooking -- and wearing a face mask -- accepted the last customer's money, gave him his change and proceeded to cook my food without a second thought, let alone washing her hands. Forget separating the duties and have one person on the money and another on the food, that's a completely alien concept here.
David Eason
Taiwan
China owes apology
The title of your editorial ("China butchers Taiwan's feelings," June 1, page 8) can also characterize the general attitude of China to Taiwan. It is difficult, if not impossible, to mention a single thing China did or said that pleased Taiwan in the past 50 years or so. Taiwan is better off without such a "fatherland."
In spite of having endless unpleasant events with China, Taiwanese should appreciate China's honesty in saying that "No one really cares about you." Indeed, China has tried everything in an attempt to own Taiwan, even threatening Taiwanese with more than 400 missiles. China has also spread the SARS virus to more than 30 countries, including Taiwan, without even expressing apologies or condolences to its victims.
If Libya can offer compensation to families of the Lockerbie victims, China should voluntarily offer compensation to families of SARS victims throughout the world.
China has isolated Taiwan more diligently than SARS from the world community. Taiwan has to find a way out of this life imprisonment. Taiwan must appeal to the world for international justice and human rights for Taiwanese. It is also time for some of Taiwan's politicians to wake up from their dreams about China. For example, PFP Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) recently pledged that, if elected next year, he would lead Taiwan to join the WHO in two years under the "one China" policy. Soong does not think logically at all. If Taiwan had accepted this policy, it could have been admitted to the WHO as an observer this year. If Soong wants to accept this policy, he should not run next year because China already has a new president, Hu Jintao (胡錦濤).
Charles Hong
Columbus, Ohio
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