http://www.asiaone.com/Health/News/Story/A1Story20090719-155680.html
Sun, Jul 19, 2009
The New Straits Times
Malaysian singer catches H1N1 at GSS
By: Shuib Taib
SINGER and compere Zainal Alam Kadir went across the Causeway for the "Great Singapore Sale" and came back with more than what he had bargained for.
Alam had in mind the high-end, "in season" abbreviations, such as AX, D&G and DKNY, as well as the CK One perfume.
But he brought home an unwanted label, too -- H1N1!
What an irony. This was a man who had never experienced chicken pox, German measles or any "popular" illness all his life.
The longest medical leave he had ever taken was two weeks, for conjunctivitis.
So how did he contract H1N1?
"I don't know, but I can tell you that the last two weeks before H1N1 had been so hectic.There was so much travelling, many rehearsals to attend and late night performances.
"In one day, Alam Band and I did four music videos with RTM. In the rain, mind you! Then immediately after that, I was involved in Astro's Pentas Anak Wayang before shooting off to Mersing for a show the following day.
"After Mersing, we headed to Johor Baru for another performance at Danga Bay."
Well, Alam needed a breather after the gruelling week and what better way to get it than to spend some time shopping in Singapore.
He stayed in a friend's apartment in Pasir Ris near Changi, and spent two whole days in shopping haven, Orchard Road.
He found time in between to sample the best putu piring in Geylang Serai and devoured the not-to-be-missed murtabak, "complete with pickled onions and all!" in Arab Street.
Indeed, everything was hunky dory. The calm before the storm, if you like.
Then came the dampener. His flight was delayed and when it was time for take-off, the flight had been moved to another departure gate.
"The officer directed me to gate D48. I was at gate C17. It felt like five miles. I was like running in a marathon.
"But run I did, for I didn't want to miss the flight. I remember feeling extremely weak and lethargic at that point but I kept on running.
"By the time I got onto the plane, I was a spent force."
There was no chance for a break when he reached Kuala Lumpur.
Soon after his arrival, Alam went straight to Astro to attend a rehearsal for Pentas Anak Wayang, a programme which he co-hosts with actor Rusdi Ramli.
He then pushed on to Akarkarya studio for Astro's Gempak Desa rehearsal. The following day, he set out to Kuala Lipis for the Gempak Desa mini concert at Felda Kechau.
"Besides hosting the show, we also do sales for Astro. We do shows and promote Astro decoders."
The mini concert at Kechau was a blast. Fans came in droves. Alam and the other artistes obliged autographs and photo requests.
It was 6am by the time he and his gang made their way back to Kuala Lumpur.
Alam hit the sack as soon as he arrived in the city. But he had slept so much more than usual that he felt something was wrong.
"I was tired but even so, I knew my body well enough. I could not have been that tired to have slept so long. My body started to ache, my joints, too.
"When I finally woke up, I was feeling very hungry. I was also wheezing and coughing. But I still couldn't move. I felt my temperature fluctuating. All my symptoms seemed to point to H1N1."
Alam's nephew took him to seek treatment. The doctor at Universiti Hospital did a throat swab for testing.
"Then in a muffled voice -- he was wearing a mask and so was I -- he told me that if nobody called me within 48 hours, I was ok. I could move on with my life."
Unfortunately, the call came with bad news.
An ambulance would be sent to pick him up. Alam called his producer and everyone who had been with him the last week and told them to go for a check-up.
"In the ambulance was a neighbour who was also down with H1N1. He had been to London and Paris.
"When he asked me where I got mine, I told him with a sigh, "The Great Singapore Sale!"
The good news is Alam is recovering. He can't wait to meet people after having had no human contact for almost two weeks.
--NST
Sun, Jul 19, 2009
The New Straits Times
Malaysian singer catches H1N1 at GSS
By: Shuib Taib
SINGER and compere Zainal Alam Kadir went across the Causeway for the "Great Singapore Sale" and came back with more than what he had bargained for.
Alam had in mind the high-end, "in season" abbreviations, such as AX, D&G and DKNY, as well as the CK One perfume.
But he brought home an unwanted label, too -- H1N1!
What an irony. This was a man who had never experienced chicken pox, German measles or any "popular" illness all his life.
The longest medical leave he had ever taken was two weeks, for conjunctivitis.
So how did he contract H1N1?
"I don't know, but I can tell you that the last two weeks before H1N1 had been so hectic.There was so much travelling, many rehearsals to attend and late night performances.
"In one day, Alam Band and I did four music videos with RTM. In the rain, mind you! Then immediately after that, I was involved in Astro's Pentas Anak Wayang before shooting off to Mersing for a show the following day.
"After Mersing, we headed to Johor Baru for another performance at Danga Bay."
Well, Alam needed a breather after the gruelling week and what better way to get it than to spend some time shopping in Singapore.
He stayed in a friend's apartment in Pasir Ris near Changi, and spent two whole days in shopping haven, Orchard Road.
He found time in between to sample the best putu piring in Geylang Serai and devoured the not-to-be-missed murtabak, "complete with pickled onions and all!" in Arab Street.
Indeed, everything was hunky dory. The calm before the storm, if you like.
Then came the dampener. His flight was delayed and when it was time for take-off, the flight had been moved to another departure gate.
"The officer directed me to gate D48. I was at gate C17. It felt like five miles. I was like running in a marathon.
"But run I did, for I didn't want to miss the flight. I remember feeling extremely weak and lethargic at that point but I kept on running.
"By the time I got onto the plane, I was a spent force."
There was no chance for a break when he reached Kuala Lumpur.
Soon after his arrival, Alam went straight to Astro to attend a rehearsal for Pentas Anak Wayang, a programme which he co-hosts with actor Rusdi Ramli.
He then pushed on to Akarkarya studio for Astro's Gempak Desa rehearsal. The following day, he set out to Kuala Lipis for the Gempak Desa mini concert at Felda Kechau.
"Besides hosting the show, we also do sales for Astro. We do shows and promote Astro decoders."
The mini concert at Kechau was a blast. Fans came in droves. Alam and the other artistes obliged autographs and photo requests.
It was 6am by the time he and his gang made their way back to Kuala Lumpur.
Alam hit the sack as soon as he arrived in the city. But he had slept so much more than usual that he felt something was wrong.
"I was tired but even so, I knew my body well enough. I could not have been that tired to have slept so long. My body started to ache, my joints, too.
"When I finally woke up, I was feeling very hungry. I was also wheezing and coughing. But I still couldn't move. I felt my temperature fluctuating. All my symptoms seemed to point to H1N1."
Alam's nephew took him to seek treatment. The doctor at Universiti Hospital did a throat swab for testing.
"Then in a muffled voice -- he was wearing a mask and so was I -- he told me that if nobody called me within 48 hours, I was ok. I could move on with my life."
Unfortunately, the call came with bad news.
An ambulance would be sent to pick him up. Alam called his producer and everyone who had been with him the last week and told them to go for a check-up.
"In the ambulance was a neighbour who was also down with H1N1. He had been to London and Paris.
"When he asked me where I got mine, I told him with a sigh, "The Great Singapore Sale!"
The good news is Alam is recovering. He can't wait to meet people after having had no human contact for almost two weeks.
--NST
