Reader says ST edited his letter out of context to support Govt’s call not to wear masks if one is well

In Jan this year when the coronavirus outbreak started to unfold, a member of the public Dr Kho Kwang Po wrote to ST Forum wanting to educate the public on the importance of wearing masks.

However, at the time, the government was of the opinion that people should only wear masks if they are ill. They should not be wearing any masks if they are well.

Dr Kho’s letter was published under ‘Forum: Excerpts from readers’ letters‘ in a short paragraph on 24 Jan:

WEAR MASKS TO FIGHT VIRUS

Now that the potentially fatal Wuhan virus is spreading, it is a good time to educate the public to wear a mask when they have a cough to prevent the spread of viruses.

This should be strictly enforced on all forms of transport, especially airlines. The virus is spread by droplets, so masks will reduce its transmission.

Healthcare personnel who are constantly exposed to risks should definitely do this.

Kho Kwang Po (Dr)

Reading the ST Forum letter from Dr Kho would have given the impression to readers that he supported the government’s call to wear masks only when one is ill, and if one is well, he should not be wearing any masks.

Dr Kho: ST edited my letter to make it look like I supported the ‘no mask if not sick’ advice

Today (10 May), Dr Kho broke his silence revealing on his Facebook page for the first time that actually Straits Times edited out a crucial sentence which altered the main point of his letter.

As far back as Jan, Dr Kho was actually advocating that people should wear masks regardless if one is ill or not.

“Straits Times forum has the bad habit of editing letters to reflect or confirm their own or govt’s stance on various issues… like mask usage,” Dr Kho lamented.

“They edited my letter to make it look like I supported the ‘no mask if not sick’ advice of the govt. This is completely deplorable and irresponsible.”

More at https://tinyurl.com/smwomjb
 
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