Btw, I’m just kidding, I don’t want to be quarantined in Seoul while crazy midget with girl glasses is playing the nuclear “Notice me, notice me,” game.

>No it’s not. It’s idiotic.

Yes, it is. You say that as if the two things are mutually exclusive!

>And its an idiocy based on ignorance of viral epidemiology and disease prevention.

I completely agree! And that ignorance of viral epidemiology and disease prevention (prophylaxis) has a disparate impact on people from seven countries. That’s discrimination.

>Not on race.

Disparate impact on a particular group of people is de facto discrimination against that group regardless of intent.

ATEK are monitoring the government? Laughable!

If you are my boss and you tell me not to leave my apartment except to teach, THAT’S discrimination.

No it’s not. It’s idiotic.

And its an idiocy based on ignorance of viral epidemiology and disease prevention. Not on race.

In addition it’s based on what I have also said is anecdotally plausible. (albeit a bit panic-ridden). I cannot cite any studies (and I would say they don’t exist) but this week I have spent more time in close contact with other Foreign teachers than I have on the Subway. If one of those teachers had the flu wouldn’t the exposure to them vis-a-vis time spent in the subway put more more at risk of catching something?

Either way this is not really the point I was originally trying to make, I ain’t a doctor and your point makes just as much sense.

Rather my gripe is with the type of language ATEK is using in addressing the issue, which at best seems unnecessarily heavy handed and at worst, is little more than alarmist media whoring.

Might I suggest ATEK’s time might be better spent, it’s membership better served, and it’s detractors silenced, if it were to concentrate on matters related to Employment and Immigration, rather than matters of Public Health.

For me personally, that would be something to do with Visa Portability which is discriminatory and in its present state constitutes little more than indentured servitude.

Kimchi also prevented the SARS virus from spreading in Korea. And, Kimchi is one of the top ten most nutitional foods in the World.

But Chinese Kimchi is dirty. It has many small bugs and they use paint to give it the red colour.

Korean Kimchi #1.
Chinese Kimchi #678

Infected foreigner lands a job. Gets on an airplane bound for Incheon. How many Koreans on that flight? More than half? That’s right. Anyway, moving on. He lands. Talks with a Korean immigration official. Maybe a Korean customs official. Gets met by his Korean handler. Gets in a vehicle of some sort, and is taken to his new apartment. In Seoul or other big cities, he rides the subway with between 5 and 50 Koreans in the car. Anyway, he gets there. Teaches the next day. Goes to his place of employment. meets the 80% to 95% Korean staff. Then meets his Korean students.

How many Koreans and how many foreigners can he have infected by the time he starts his job? I think it would be more advisable to tell foreigners not to congregate with KOREANS to avoid catching it.*

* I don’t actually think that would be advisable.

But, yeah, at a time like this it doesn’t play well for ATEK to come across so accusatory in the first paragraph. Especially when there’s really nothing ATEK can do. I mean, all due respect, what are you going to do to the authorities? And who is anyone other than healthcare professionals to lecture about the quality or consistency of care? The most important tool here is information. Do what Professor Wagner did and go up there and talk to people, find out what’s happening, find out if there’s any funny business. While I’ve said many times that I think it’s ridiculous to think that foreign teachers in general are a threat, it’s not irrational to worry about these teachers because, after all, they have swine flu. It’s not a made up worry. But I don’t think we need to start off saying Koreans are discriminating against foreigners. Not yet anyway, and not, it appears, inside the quarantine.