Monday, September 5, 2016

Zika Is Overblown

As the world now knows, the Zika virus is now in Singapore. Thus far, doctors said the total number of cases in Singapore stands at 242. This number is expected to rise. As the Singapore government has tried it’s best to combat the virus, I will say this; Singaporeans are getting paranoid for no reason.

Honestly, the threat posed by Zika has been overblown. The Zika virus affects unborn babies yet we have Singaporean parents who keep their kids indoor, not letting them out of the house. Not counting the fact that mosquitoes can fly into the house, the more important fact is that Zika does not affect children or adults in any serious way. The infection often causes no or only mild symptoms, similar to a very mild form of dengue fever. Infection during pregnancy can cause microcephaly and other brain malformations in some babies, but even then doctors say the malformation affect about 10% of babies born to mothers with the virus.

So if you are not pregnant, then the Zika virus is not really a threat. Even if you are a pregnant, there is a good chance Zika will not affect your unborn baby. So please do not over blow the Zika threat. It’s a danger, but it’s not “that” great of a danger. 

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