SNS abuzz with disease fears
By Kim Bo-eun
Citizens have been taking to SNS accounts to express their fear of the deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) as well as disgust at the government for its inability to effectively curb the disease.
On twitter, users have been sharing news articles about deaths from the disease, number of patients and closing of schools. Many shared their personal thoughts and feelings on the rapid spread of the disease.
A user with the ID @saysweetie said “Please let us take work off for two weeks _ we are scared of MERS.”
User @rios 321 posted “There are already 30 MERS patients. How far will it spread... Will it spread to where I live...”
Another user @chixineun said “I have put off visiting the hospital due to MERS.” People are fearing visiting hospitals with MERS patients due to worries of infections.
Koreans based overseas also expressed concern. User @minjangk said “I am planning to go to Korea next month but the nation is currently swept up with MERS. I hope it will settle down by the time I go..”
Other users shared practical information such as the definition and symptoms of the disease and tips on preventing it
A user with the ID @ha_nabii posted pictures of two masks. “The left one is a dental mask and the right one is the N95 mask. Most people are wearing the left one, but MERS is a viral disease so the right mask is more effective in prevention. Twitter friends go to the pharmacy to get the right one,” she said.
Still others are expressing anger at the government for its incompetence in dealing with the crisis.
User @hoya_best posted “MERS, the Sewol tragedy, Lee Wan-koo, Sung Woan-gong _ what did the current administration do to solve these issues?”
Another user @sncare229 said “What is scarier than MERS is the Park Administration's incapability to respond to crises.”
User @trauma71 said “the subjects that should be isolated should be incompetent authority figures and bureaucracy.”