Deyalsingh: No panic over Zika

However, Deyalsingh has fired back saying the country is not in any panic but rather people are aware of the dangers.

“I have been bombarded by citizens, both locally and abroad, who have shared their confusion and fears regarding the threat of this pandemic. This is fueled by the fact that no confirmed cases of the virus has been reported on either island,” Khan said. He added by making such a premature pronouncement, it only caused fear and hysteria, especially during this Carnival season. He claimed that he had spoken to several people who were concerened, whether or not ,they should return to Trinidad for Carnival given the heightened state of alert Government has placed on the nation. Khan said while the virus and its manifestation did in fact warrant a state of increased vigilance to prevent it from spreading to this country, to date, the Government has stood fast to its decision to contain and minimise the transmission of the virus after it entered our shores, rather than place any effort into protecting the citizens from its invasion of the country.

“It is at times such as these, I am reminded of the polio outbreak of 1972, when Carnival was suspended to prevent the spread of the disease, which should be at least be considered for the safety of our population. This is reinforced by the recent discovery that the virus may also be transferred in the form of a sexually transmitted disease (STD), thereby expanding the transmission system of the virus from an exclusively vector-based one, to a person-to-person delivery method. “This means the process to eliminate the Aedes Aegypti mosquito that is being carried out throughout the country may eventually prove to be ineffective, if mosquitoes are not the only means by which this virus can travel,” he said. Khan said Government seemed to be taking a lethargic position in protecting the nation from exposure to a virus that has prompted other governments to issue warnings to their citizens to prevent them from reproducing for up to two years, as a counter measure to its symptoms. He said the threat of babies contracting microcephaly as a congenital effect from the Zika virus, while still in their mothers’ wombs was frightening enough to warrant that countries, affected by the Zika virus, would initiate a two year contraceptive period to prevent an entire generation from contracting this defect.

In response, Deyalsingh said it was better to be proactive than reactive. “I don’t know what he is trying to say. Have you seen any panic? Calypso semi finals went on in San Fernando as planned, Carnival activities went on as planned.

I have seen absolutely no panic.

What I have seen is a population starting to become aware of the situation which is what we want,” Deyalsingh said. He said it was imperative to put the nation on alert about the virus.