2 months ago, the bunch of us producers from the English Current Affairs department, yes, the same ones who make BlogTV happen; were sitting around a table, discussing the new features of this season’s BlogTV.
We couldn’t wait to record the first episode, which is to be telecast‘LIVE’. Our new trainee was especially excited as it is also to be her first time working on a Live show!
But by now I’m sure everyone knows that BlogTV.sg’s telecast was pushed back unexpectedly.
But I bet you didn’t know why…It happened because of our close brush with H1N1.
June 24, Wednesday
0918 hrs
English Current Affairs (Eng CA) Boss receives a phone call to alert her that our trainee has H1N1. The boss jumps, literally. 5 of us are in the office. We wonder what the fuss is all about.
0925 hrs
The rest of our department receives news that the trainee has been tested positive for H1N1.They are to work from home today. Unfortunately, I’m in the office already. To leave or not to leave? Immediately, my mind goes into rewind mode, like a sudden mind map, I recount all the moments I was in contact with the trainee.
0930 hrs
2 more producers arrive at that time. They hear the news, and stand outside the office, not knowing what to do.
1000 hrs
Masks and thermometers are disseminated to Eng CA. Everyone in office are told to take their temperatures immediately. Rarely do you see us move this quickly especially on a Wednesday morning, before our shots of caffeine. It feels like SARS all over again, just that this time, we are the victims.
1005 hrs
One producer is identified as having had the most frequent contact with the trainee. She is immediately sent off to the hospital to do a test. Everyone is a little nervous, me included.
I start to feel a little feverish, sniffle a little, is it all in the mind?
1012 hrs
News travels quickly within the organization. As quickly as the virus, I must say. What do we expect, afterall ours is a broadcasting station. The Camera Unit is the first to hear that English Current Affairs has a H1N1 case. Their manager jumps, and wants to know if any of her cameramen has had contact with the H1N1 trainee.
One cameraman who was in the same room as her the day before, is identified. He is immediately quarantined. Meanwhile, news slowly spreads to the rest of MediaCorp, even to the canteen uncles and the cleaning aunties. This is to be the start of a lonely 10 day period for Eng CA.
1015 hrs
7 more producers and editors come into office, all unaware of the drama that is unfolding. All are told to ‘go home’ immediately by The Boss. Hmmm, it’s a new feeling, to be told by The Boss to head home at the start of a work day. Being the ever devoted employee, I decide to stay on in the office. After all, I have to make sure that my programme makes it on air, H1N1 or not. As they say, the show must go on!
1017hrs
Being the responsible producers that we are, we immediately inform our BlogTV.sg presenters, Phin and FD. They were the only two who had prolonged contact with the trainee on the day of the dry run.
Both swing into action immediately, by informing their bosses, and quarantining themselves.
Blogtv.sg has to be postponed indefinitely.
1020 hrs
The Boss, who has been down with the flu, leaves the office and goes to the doctor.
1022 hrs
Human Resource personnel come to our unit to question producers on their contact with the infected trainee, and to ascertain that she didn’t have contact with the studio crew at last night’s BlogTV.sg dry run. Our unit is henceforth labeled as the ‘infected area’. This must be how the lepers have felt.
1048 hrs
First Directive Received:
“With immediate effect, we have to segregate access along the corridors on Levels 2, 3 and 4.
1] All staff producing the news, seated in the Assignments Area, CNA studio, Graphics and Business Areas DO NOT go by the English CA corridor.
2] Similarly, for English CA unit to go out of the building using the glass door or the mosaic stairwell. Do not go via Business unit and beyond.
3] All other units, please use only the stairwells (mosaic) at the ends of the buildings. Do not go via Level 2 corridors.
This is the instruction for now. We will review through the day. Please watch out.”
It was the last 3 words which scared me!
1114 hrs
Second Directive Received:
“Risk Management is asking all staff on Level 2 and those who come into common contact e.g editing and media management to wear surgical masks and to start taking temperature, with immediate effect.”
You mean there is a risk management unit?! My colleagues and I start clowning around with our masks, drawing funny faces on it, only to be told to ‘take it seriously’.
Michael Jackson, is dat chu?
1144 hrs
The head of Human Resource does contact tracing with trainee. Trainee was found to have direct contact with 15 people from the Eng CA office in a birthday celebration the day before. Oh dear.
1145 hrs
3 Astronaut-looking men in white suits enter our office to disinfect the “critical areas”. Producers are told to stand in a straight line, close their eyes, and rotate. We are all sprayed with what looks like a dengue mosquito fogger. We are also told to leave the office for an hour. Before we left, we took many pictures. It feels eerily like a scene from Outbreak.
1150hrs
The rest of us stroll to the canteen. In true Singaporean style, we decide to use our masks to “chope” the table. People start eyeballing us. I think our designer masks looked better than the tissue packets others are using.
1220 hrs
Another Human Resource lady sees us in the canteen. She pointedly tells us that we’re not supposed to eat together in groups in the canteen. Our ever-polite assistant producer asks innocently if it’s better for us to spread out. The lady laughs nervously and hurries away. We still feel like lepers.
1245 hrs
Disinfecting astronauts move to Studio 5, where the BlogTV.sg dry run was recorded the night before. Unfortunately, Studio 5 doors are closed because the sole set of keys have been drawn out by some guy who is out for lunch. Disinfecting Astronauts wait patiently outside.
1300 hrs
Producers can finally go back to the office. Disinfecting astronauts stand waiting. One producer, who changes her jacket upon returning from the canteen, is singled out to be disinfected again. It really doesn’t pay to be fashionable. Tsk.
1307 hrs
Producer who had close contact with infected trainee tests Negative for Influenza A. We rejoice. One small step for English CA!
1320 hrs
2 men in plainclothes, suspiciously looking like the earlier disinfecting astronauts, come into our office with a bucket of yellow-chlorine like solution (we shall refer to this as Chemical X) and asks to be directed to the trainee’s table. This table is now known as the ‘extremely infected area’. They proceed to wipe it down meticulously with Chemical X.
1412 hrs
The boss tests Negative for Influenza A.
1414 hrs
Third Directive Received
“HR lady has been busy with contact tracing, and indeed it was a nightmarish job. Anybody else if there is any slight symptom, or you feel unwell, please go to the doctor. This will be a period of inconvenience. So teamwork is really paramount for another to chip in to edit or film if need be. I’m sure we will get through this fine.”
One thing we English CA Producers are good at is teamwork. Within minutes, we split filming and editing tasks amongst the teams. As I’ve said, the show must go on!
1530 hrs
The two men with Chemical X return to wipe down ‘extremely infected’ table again.
They proceed to disinfect the transcribing deck which is frequently used by the trainee. Now you know what our trainee has to do most of the time. Anyhow, we must be the cleanest unit in MediaCorp now. We smell like a hospital.
1546 hrs
Fourth Directive Received
“ We have been keeping you informed of the precautionary measures MediaCorp is taking to contain the spread of the H1N1 virus.
The medical authorities have confirmed that a trainee working in our TV building has contracted the H1N1 virus. However, her exposure to other staff is limited due to the recent one week break (15 to 19 June). The trainee is now in hospital. Those who have been exposed to her are being notified, and taking precautionary measures in line with the Health Ministry’s guidelines. The affected work area has been disinfected, and staff in critical/common contact areas are required to wear masks.
Business will continue as usual, and we will monitor the situation and keep you updated.
A reminder to staff: Those who are unwell are advised to stay away from work and to seek immediate medical attention. We seek you understanding and cooperation on this matter.”
1557 hrs
Being a broadcasting station, the second thing we did after spreading the news, is to do a news story on our very own H1N1 case. Check out the print version below, and the news clip in Exclusively Online!
1625hrs
Fifth Directive Received
“Dear Supervisors of critical ops areas,
Risk Management would require all personnel working in critical ops areas to put on surgical mask and measure your body temperature twice daily whilst working in CBC compound. This measure will have to be implemented with IMMEDIATE effect until further notice is given.”
We learn that we are one of the 15 Critical Operations units in Mediacorp! Woohoo! We matter!
1730 hrs
Chemical X men strike again to disinfect the infected area. One wonders if it is possible to over–kill germs. But I really appreciate the quick and thorough efforts of the company to combat the spread of the virus . Because we broadcast 24/7, 365-days a year, we cannot afford to have an outbreak within Mediacorp.
1923 hrs
Sixth Directive Received
“English CA staff are discouraged from eating in groups in the canteen.”
And with that, our fate as a leper’s colony was sealed.
As of July 3 2009, Friday, no other producers developed fever or any flu-like symptoms. The 10-day quarantine on English CA is lifted. The trainee has fully recovered and is back in the office, transcribing the tonne of tapes waiting lovingly for her It feels great to finally be able to walk freely in Mediacorp and eat normally in the canteen!
English CA
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