While Singapore has managed to slow the spread of the disease, the virus continues to spread rapidly around the world.
“Singapore’s approach of actively looking for new cases and quarantining close contacts has been effective in ring-fencing clusters of infection so far, and we have not seen evidence of community spread… However, it is premature to say that the worst is over,” said Professor Tan Chorh Chuan, Chief Health Scientist at the Ministry of Health.
“Given the rate at which new cases are being reported around the world, there is always a risk of new imported cases. We therefore have to remain vigilant,” he added.
Based on epidemiological modelling projections, some predict that half or more of the world’s population could be infected with the virus. But this scenario will occur only if nothing is done to stop the spread of the virus, as is the case with seasonal flu, said Associate Professor Hsu Li Yang, Programme Leader (Infectious Diseases).
“It spreads between people in a similar fashion as influenza, but because it is a novel virus, there is no immunity to it — unlike in the case of seasonal influenza — and hence, it appears to be highly transmissible,” he said.
“However, given current active and massive interventions in many countries such as South Korea, Italy, Japan and Singapore, it is unlikely that the world will get to the stage where half of its population is infected with COVID-19,” added Assoc Prof Hsu.
Media coverage:
- Coronavirus cases in Singapore can rise anytime, premature to say worst is over, says MOH’s chief health scientist, The Straits Times, 27 February 2020
- Number of coronavirus cases in Singapore could rise, cautions MOH chief health scientist, The Straits Times, 28 February 2020
- Coronavirus cases in Singapore can rise anytime, premature to say worst is over, says MOH’s chief health scientist, AsiaOne, 28 February 2020