Tychan, a biotechnology firm based in Singapore, has developed a monoclonal antibody, TY027, as a potential treatment for COVID-19. It will embark on phase one of its human clinical trials next week. Monoclonal antibodies are immune system proteins that are created in the laboratory, and can be specially engineered to target and inactivate a virusRead more
Monoclonal antibodies as potential treatment for COVID-19 Read More »
Dengue infections this year surged past the 10,000 mark this week. The National Environment Agency (NEA) said on its website: “This is the highest number of cases for the same period of the year since 2013, the largest outbreak year recorded in Singapore’s recent history.” As we enter the traditional dengue peak season (typically from
Spike in dengue infections due to change in dominant strains and low immunity Read More »
Researchers have developed a model that can estimate regional disease burden and the impact of vaccination, even in the absence of robust surveillance data, a study in eLife reveals. The report highlights areas that would have the greatest benefit from initiating a vaccination programme against the virus, Japanese encephalitis (JE). This will in turn guide
Computer modelling predicts where vaccines are needed most Read More »
More than 370,000 people worldwide have succumbed to COVID-19 and the toll continues to rise as the virus spreads globally. While many have compared the current pandemic to SARS, experts now believe that the disease will be around for some time, unlike the latter. “If it (COVID-19) were as severe as SARS, it would be
COVID-19: Spreads like the flu but severe enough to kill Read More »
Some may perceive Phase One of Singapore’s three-phase exit of its ‘circuit breaker’ as a mere extension, with many existing restrictions to continue. But these restrictions are needed because we have merely averted a tsunami, wrote Professor Chia Kee Seng and PhD student Ms Ong Suan Ee in a commentary for The Straits Times. They
Prepare for an L-shaped recovery Read More »
In the largest non-European diabetes genetics study, an international team of researchers identified 61 new genetic variants associated with Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) in East Asians. Findings include discovery of variants near genes involved in skeletal muscle and pancreatic functions, as well as in alcohol metabolism, and also in genes linked to higher levels of fat
Associate Professor Helena Legido-Quigley was recently appointed Editor-in-Chief of Elsevier’s new Journal of Migration and Health, and was profiled in The Lancet last week, focusing on her work in health systems and passion for global health. “This is incredibly exciting for me, as the health of migrants is my passion, and no other journal has
Earlier this week, the multi-ministry taskforce announced a three-phase transition to a ‘new normal’, as the next step in Singapore’s fight against COVID-19. As Singapore exits its ‘circuit breaker’ on 2 June, schools will reopen progressively and a third of the workforce will return to their workplaces. Dean, Professor Teo Yik Ying said that the
Phased transition as Singapore exits ‘circuit breaker’ Read More »
The School congratulates Dr Margaret Chan, the former Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) and esteemed SSHSPH alumna (Class of ’85, MSc Public Health and Occupational Medicine) on being appointed the inaugural Dean of Vanke School of Public Health at Tsinghua University. Assuming the role and responsibilities as Dean, Dr Chan and the School’s
Over the past week, an average of 700 cases were reported daily that were linked to foreign worker dormitories. Even as the number of dormitory-linked cases continues to rise, Vice Dean (Research), Associate Professor Alex Cook said the situation is better than originally expected and “the number of cases is consistently lower in reality than
COVID-19: Dormitory-linked cases lower than projected estimates Read More »