The recent spread of the H1N1 virus in Malaysia, with a rapid increase in the number of cases and deaths, has caught the attention of many Malaysians.

The virus is not airborne, but it is spread by droplets and can be picked up by touching contaminated surfaces.

The Health Ministry is urging Malaysians to take many precautionary steps - take your temperature regularly, avoid crowded areas, stay home and self quarantine if you are sick.  But the most important and effective precautionary step is the simplest one - to wash your hands frequently with soap. Sanitizing gels or wipes can also be used but nothing beats a good scrubbing with soap and water.

Since a large number of people (more than 500,000) travel daily around the Klang Valley using public transport, one has to wonder what precautions bus and train operators are taking to help prevent transmission of the H1N1 virus.

After all, masks do nothing to prevent surface-to-surface transmssion.  And people using public transport are often in close proximity of less than 1.5 m (within the zone of transmission) and touch a variety of surfaces (ticket vending machines, grab bars, seats, doors) during their daily travels.

Of course people should continue using public transport - but they should take precautions like using a handkerchief when touching surfaces, washing their hands frequently, with soap, etc.

Unfortunately, I have seen and heard nothing from the public transport operators about H1N1 prevention.  Nor have I seen an increased effort to keep public transport stations and hubs and vehicles extra clean. Nor have their been any attempts to culture bacteria taken from various surfaces - a great project for university or secondary school students and a good reminder of the value of hygiene.

The irony is greater because I have seen the management of some of the public transport operators quickly arrange fundraisers for earthquake and flood victims and give away hampers for Raya.

But I have heard nothing about campaigns to educate the public on the wisdom of good hygiene.

It is not just for the benefit of the public - it makes good business sense too.  RapidKL and KTMB and the other operators should be proactive, because if people start to get worried about H1N1 they will avoid the crowded trains and buses - and RapidKL and KTMB and the other operators will end up losing money needlessly.

Sincerely

Moaz Yusuf Ahmad
Petaling Jaya, Selangor