Before I go on, let me just apologize to everyone who's sent me emails asking if I got theirs, or how I'm doing, etc. Due to the craziness at work recently, I've put my emailing on hold, and only write via this blog for now. So please read this to find out what's going on in my horrible life during this period, and feel free to post comments, which I definitely check up on, and usually reply to. Thanks!

Yes, I guess you can tell from the tone of my writing that things haven't improved. The tally in the papers this morning was 74, but it will no doubt continue to climb for some time.

We had yet another mass briefing with our infectious diseases specialist this morning, and learnt quite a few interesting points that involve one particular index case ( who seems a lot more infectious than the rest ), and a primary contact whose profession I shall not mention or else SIA will go bankrupt, haha. Anyway, additional measures are being implemented, including the setting up of a "fever ward", which will accept and cohort all febrile A&E admissions, and sort these out before letting them loose on the general ward populations. 3 lucky young doctors have been arrowed for the honour of covering this ward -- they asked for volunteers, and one of my fellow MOs actually offered himself, wow! So they'll have to gown and glove up, wear special scrubs and masks, and are not allowed to go to other wards during the day.

The good news is, the quarantined bunch is returning to work tomorrow, a fact that was met with a collective sigh of relief, more because we'll have more manpower again, but also 'cos the last time the ID people checked, these guys were well and asymptomatic.

Last, in the context of my growing irritation with the moronic behaviour of some Singaporeans, below is an email I sent to The Straits Times Forum Page yesterday. As you will know, if you read the papers, it was not published -- though I expected that, since I blast the ST on a regular basis, but still...

Singaporeans' Sense of Responsibility
Speaking as a medical professional who's currently involved in the melee of the SARS epidemic, I'm appalled by your accounts of how some adults are callously allowing their children to go to school, even when they've been exposed to confirmed SARS patients, or recently returned from trips to endemic areas.

All the hospitals here are currently taking necessary measures to contain the outbreak, aided by ample media coverage to raise awareness, and even expert advice from the WHO. Therefore, when some Singaporeans -- whom I assume are well-educated and read the newspapers -- behave in such an irresponsible manner, not only is it detrimental to our efforts to halt a fast-spreading disease, it's also downright stupid.

Just last week, a patient was admitted to a government hospital with flu-like symptoms, but failed to tell the doctors that her sister was already warded at the CDC for SARS. This vital fact was discovered only after the CDC called the hospital with the information, thus delaying timely isolation of this new case.

And with the current "home quarantine" programme, I can only imagine how these few thousand people, who no doubt think they've hit the jackpot by being excused from work and school, are taking the opportunity to run around town instead of staying put in their homes as instructed.

Singaporeans need to fully grasp the gravity of the situation, and stop behaving like naive kindergarteners.

Dr. Oh Jen Jen

By the way, as I was going to work this morning, I saw a teenage boy all dressed to the nines, walking out to the main road, probably on his way to an outing with his friends, as all the schools in Singapore have been shut down as of today. What's the use of not having classes if the kids are gonna mingle in malls and arcades anyway? My advice: everybody stay home if you want to live on!

Well, I'm glad there's something to look forward to today. Can you guess? It's... Clay Aiken! Don't forget to tune in tonight!
Before I go, let me just say that Aaron Buerge from The Bachelor 2 is simply divine. He sounds so much like Ben Affleck, has a beautiful smile, and was pretty impressive on the ivories. The lady he later proposed to -- I won't reveal her name unless you want me to, of course -- is really bubbly and pretty, so no wonder she won his heart. But overall, the gals this time round are a lot more beautiful than the last batch. Only one of them annoys me -- Frances, the Asian-looking one ( ?Filipino ), who chose the moment when he offers her the rose to hesitate, then ask him whether he likes to dance. Hello? You had the ENTIRE NIGHT to ask him that question -- a question that's important enough for her to reconsider accepting his rose -- and she didn't think of it earlier? Poor Aaron just stood there and gave her this puzzled look as she pondered. It's kinda rude, don't you think?

Okay then, more another day. I'm still well, so crossing my fingers!