golden girl

Hi. We are scheduled to fly out to Perth on 3rd May (Quantas). Our stopover is in Singapore, not an overnight stop, just 2 hrs but enought time to catch the virus). Having serious doubts whether we should risk travelling as so many people seem to have caught the deadly virus. Obviously cancelling our flight will cost us money so in a bit of a dilemma. Has anyone recently returned (having stopped at Singapore). Watching Sky news makes me even more nervous seeing the passengers greeted by those in Singapore airport wearing protective clothing and surgical masks!

any advice?

andie

we also very worried, its getting worse isnt? we stop over in singapore for 3 hours, we go 1st june. thought about getting masks, rather look a complete pratt than catch it. :scared: :scared:

Rudy

Hiya,

Singapore has no recorded cases of their own, apart from people who have brought it in from Hong Kong. A virus cannot live outside a living cell, so as long as you don't breathe in droplets from an infected person's cough or sneeze, you will not catch it! (Sorry that sounds really YUK, but that is the facts) The reason that Singapore is taking drastic steps is to protect travellers and their own country from further infection. If I were you, I would try to cover my airways with a mask/ etc while in close contact with other people, but only if there is a likelihood that they have travelled in from Hong Kong etc. In other words, the guys on the same plane as you should be fine and even the people in the passenger lounge if they are from unaffected areas.

If you want to know anymore have a look at the world health organisation website. I can't remember the web address off hand, but a search will bring it up.

Hope you can take a bit of comfort from that.

Hazel
:lecture:

garrisondamn

Hmm, what about the aircrafts recirculating air-con? apparently, according to a t.v.programme on Discovery Channel a few months ago, this is one of the highest factors that put passengers at risk, higher than crashing!!!!!

We are going to NZ in June with a 2 day!! stopover in Singapore.
Hope they sort it soon & keep it at bay!

Good luck all.

karawara88

We were going to go via Hong Kong on July 1st with Cathay Pacific, just changed it to go via Dubai with Emirates.

I think the chances of catching in Hong Kong or Singapore are less likely than catching it on the plane. Especially the flight from Singapore or Hong Kong to Oz.

Best thing is not to breath. !!!

NinaU

Emirates is a fantastic airline - Dubai is a great place too. Are you stopping over in Dubai?

Nina

Ceri

Hi, quote from my friend who has emailed me from Singapore (he lives there, he's been living there for almost twenty years now)

"Everybody is walking around with masks on for this SARS in Singapore All the schools are closed, It's a bloody good job they didn't close the pubs"

This is the only reference he has made to the virus in a very long email - it' s obviously not bothering him too much.


cheers

jajpe

hi folks!

this is uppermost in my mind as we will stopover in singapore later TODAY on route to NZ. can't wait to get there although have thought of trying to hold my breath for 6 hours in singapore.


failing that, i will wear a mask and latex gloves. yes i know i will look a TOTAL pratt but thanks to a doctor friend's email apparently the virus has been diagnosed and is thought to be able to live outside the body for at least an hour. this means that if someone snnezes/coughs over something - i can pick it up an hour later and not need to have been close to them. also it is thought that alcohol kills it so (no i'm not going to get drunk on arrival) but i have bought little antiseptic wipes containing alcohol especially for the kids hands.(thought the gloves might remind them not to puts hands near their mouths etc too! the article suggested that constant handwashing could be vital particularly with alcohol based cleansers.

we are also dosing up on echinacea drops and multi vitamins to boost our immunity so that if, God forbid, we do pick it up we will be best placed to fight it!! that's all the advice i have received so far and outside of that i have asked everyone i know, who believes in God to pray for us like never before!!!

will let you know how we get on - if i make it home that is!!!

dotty

Qantas has announced it will not impose penalties for people who cancel trips to areas affected by the disease. Hopefully they are not the only airline.

Australia is also recommending people do not go to these areas.

Flights have been reduced (lack of consumer demand) by 30% to these areas.

Frankly sitting on a plane surrounded by people in masks, gloves, robes, sounds far too weird, could certainly scare the hell out of your kids. Why risk it, if it was me I'd certainly cancel any trip that was not totally essential, what sort of a holiday would you have anyway.

Herman

We have an all day stopover in Singapore in 2 weeks time. We planned to go on the city tour. I am told that the airlines are issuing passengers with face masks and I suspect we will spend our 9 hours sat in a remote corner of the airport wearing rubber gloves and breathing through our airline masks!