As of May 29, there were 71 suspected or probable cases of SARS
in California alone. Considering that, a little healthy fear is
probably a good thing. I have definitely been motivated to become
more educated about the transmission and symptoms of the
disease.
But officials at UC Berkeley seem to have taken a page out of
the irrational fear book. I was shocked when UC Berkeley announced
a ban on international summer students coming from SARS-affected
countries. The decision was made despite the fact that SARS had
already arrived in the United States and that both the Center for
Disease Control and the World Health Organization assured that risk
of infection was very low. No other U.S. institution had announced
the same policy (although some restrict travel to SARS-infected
areas), and Berkeley has since renounced the policy. But Berkeley
alone adopted this isolationist policy ““ healthy fear turned
into full-blown panic. I guess the rumors are true: Berkeley
ain’t for hippies anymore.
In response to this kind of rising irrationality, the CDC has
been moved to state: “At this time, CDC does not recommend
canceling or postponing classes, meetings or other gatherings that
will include persons traveling to the United States from areas with
SARS.”
While Berkeley has decided to “welcome” the 124
students already enrolled, it has not made a commitment to accept
any additional applicants. The program generally hosts 500 to 600
students ““ the risk is not going to go up exponentially.
Berkeley, and every similar institution, needs to have safety
protocols in place, but banning foreigners is like putting a
bandage on a wound that has already festered.
Whether it’s SARS, smallpox or any other potentially
deadly, infectious disease, we simply need to be ready. That does
not mean worrying about a few hundred students who do not even
present signs of SARS infection. Being ready means creating an
infrastructure that can respond immediately when symptoms do
appear.
UCLA has done just that. Chancellor Carnesale sent an open memo
to the UCLA community last week assuring that “the necessary
protocols are in place in the unlikely event that there is evidence
of SARS on the UCLA campus.” The Arthur Ashe Student Health
& Wellness Center homepage now contains a SARS update page. The
page is incredibly detailed and offers advice and protocols for
those at risk. More importantly, however, it emphasizes the
individual’s responsibility with regard to his or her own
health.
UCLA is model for the way institutions should be handling the
dangers of SARS. Administrative bodies, be they local or national,
should do everything they can to protect the persons under their
jurisdiction. They should have emergency procedures in place. They
should make information available to the public. They should
emphasize individual caution and responsibility.
Panic will only cause confusion. A wholesale ban on persons from
SARS-affected areas will only result in a false sense of security
among the population. If people begin to think they are safe
because their institution has protected them, they are far less
likely to educate themselves as to the dangers and symptoms of the
disease.
There are definitely constructive actions to take. For example,
temporarily suspending study abroad programs in China was a good
measure. Despite our instinctive fears, we need to take a sober
look at the safety measures we take.
Sutton is a third-year, classical civilizations student. E-mail
her at jsutton@media.ucla.edu.