askST: Should we avoid a mall with a suspected case of the Wuhan virus?
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A photo of the Raffles Medical Causeway Point after social media posts of a man who allegedly infected with the Wuhan virus visiting to the 2 locations going viral.
ST PHOTO: KHALID BABA
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A message about a suspected case of the Wuhan virus in a Woodlands mall, telling people to avoid the area, has been making the rounds on social media. More than 80 readers have written in to askST to ask whether this is true. Toh Ting Wei and senior health correspondent Salma Khalik report.
A patient who was suspected to have the Wuhan virus was indeed identified at the Raffles Medical clinic in Causeway Point and sent to the hospital on Monday.
Mall operator Frasers Property confirmed the identification of a suspected Wuhan virus patient in a letter to tenants yesterday, but emphasised it has thoroughly disinfected affected areas after the incident.
It also said it facilitated the movement of the patient to the pickup point in a way that minimised the public's exposure to the patient.
From Monday night, viral messages on various platforms such as Facebook and Twitter had warned of a suspected case detected at the mall and told people to stay away from it.
When The Straits Times visited the mall yesterday morning, it was still business as usual for visitors and workers, with more than a dozen patients seen at the Raffles Medical clinic.
Ms Jade Sun, 33, store manager of a Japanese food outlet, said: "My workers were worried about a case happening so close to where they are working, so I came to check on the situation.
"Now that the clinic is open, we are more assured. If there was a problem, the clinic would have been closed."
Meanwhile, Raffles Medical Group is investigating the source of a photo that shows the identity card of the patient who was allegedly a suspected Wuhan virus case, as well as a letter from its clinic referring him to Tan Tock Seng Hospital.
In the referral notes of the letter revealed online, the patient was described as having travelled to China from Jan 9 to Jan 17. He developed a cough, had mild breathlessness and other symptoms from Jan 15.
A Raffles Medical Group spokesman said healthcare providers are required to screen all patients visiting their premises.
"For patients who present flu-like symptoms and with travel history to China in the last 14 days, the Ministry of Health (MOH) will be informed and the patient will be sent for further assessment," added the spokesman.
"This is part of the MOH's protocol in response to such situations."
In a letter to tenants seen by ST, Frasers Property said it was notified by Raffles Medical of the suspected Wuhan virus case at 4.20pm on Monday.
"We were notified by Raffles Medical that a suspected patient with (the Wuhan virus) required an escort to the mall's ambulance pickup point," Frasers Property's centre manager for Causeway Point said.
"With the well-being of shoppers and tenants being our utmost priority, we facilitated the movement of the patient to the pickup point via a designated route designed to minimise exposure of the patient to the general public."
Frasers Property has since increased the frequency of cleaning for all common areas and placed hand sanitisers at common areas, among other measures.
Separately, messages circulating online had also claimed that Woodlands Mart was closed for cleaning on Monday after a suspected case of the Wuhan virus was detected there.
A security guard at Woodlands Mart told ST he did not see anything out of the ordinary yesterday, and that the rumour was false.
But a staff member at the Central 24-HR Clinic at Woodlands Mart, which allegedly identified a patient suspected to have the Wuhan virus, told ST the clinic was closed for cleaning and disinfected on Monday. She did not elaborate.
ST has contacted the Housing Board, which owns Woodlands Mart, and the Central 24-HR Clinic Group for comment.
Meanwhile, experts say people need not avoid places, including clinics, where people suspected of being infected with the Wuhan virus have been to.
First, these are suspected - and not confirmed - cases.
Even if a person is confirmed to have the virus, it generally requires prolonged exposure to the infected person for someone to catch the bug.
Such prolonged exposure, or close contact, with an infected person is defined by the health authorities as at least 30 minutes within 2m of the person.
Seeing people in personal protection equipment is also no cause for alarm, as that is normal procedure.
What about the furniture an infected person came into contact with?
All GP clinics have been told what to do when they are visited by a patient suspected of having the Wuhan virus.
They have to follow a protocol which includes putting the person in isolation and cleaning any surface he came into contact with.
However, whether it is a place where a confirmed patient was at, or any other place, experts advise that it is good practice to wash one's hands frequently, especially after going to the toilet and before eating.
It is also a good idea to clean one's hands after touching public transport hand-holds and using a supermarket trolley or basket, as these are used by many people, some of whom may spread germs.
