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With the increase in clusters and unlinked cases here, Singapore faces the threat of an uncontrollable spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. As imported cases taper off, the country is entering a new phase of community transmission, with local cases set to dominate yet again. This is of concern because it means the virus is becoming more entrenched in the community. The next two weeks are crucial in this battle. If the number of cases can be held in check, it bodes well for the longer term, saidRead more

With the world in the grip of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is easy to lose sight of other slow-spreading pandemics that still afflict us, like tuberculosis (TB) for example. World TB Day is commemorated on 24 March, in memory of Dr Robert Koch’s discovery of the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis in 1882. For World TB Day this year, Associate Professor Hsu Li Yang, Programme Leader (Infectious Diseases), contributed a commentary on how COVID-19 could affect TB control measures. The current COVID-19 outbreak threatens to disrupt TB public health and treatment programmesRead more

COVID-19 cases surpassed 700,000 globally in just three months since the virus first emerged. Dean, Professor Teo Yik Ying called for effective responses at both national and international levels in face of this unprecedented pandemic. He explained that low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) were unable to adequately manage the outbreak due to the lack of required technology, training and resources. Prof Teo urged leaders of LMICs to recognise the challenges in their healthcare systems and reach out for international support as a coordinated global effort is required to respond toRead more

The United Kingdom’s ‘herd immunity strategy’ to combat COVID-19 has gained renewed attention after its Prime Minister and Health Minister tested positive for the virus. Assistant Professor Hannah Clapham wrote that herd immunity can be the outcome of a strategy or action, most sensibly, of vaccination. But in UK, herd immunity for COVID-19 has been discussed as the outcome of taking minimal action and letting many in the population get infected. A key issue in the discussion around this strategy, Dr Clapham noted, is one that has been seen moreRead more

With so much conflicting information about the coronavirus pandemic on the internet, the World Economic Forum asked their Instagram followers to submit questions about the crisis. Experts from around the world — including Dean, Professor Teo Yik Ying, and Dean of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Michelle Williams — answered questions like: Can you have COVID-19 and show no symptoms? Can one get coronavirus for a second time? How long can the virus survive on surfaces? Is it possible that one day this will happen again? Is thereRead more

Two new clusters were identified in the past week, with 20 cases related to a preschool in Fengshan. “Some may perceive that in this particular case, some teachers who were not well ought to have left the centre immediately, rather than carry on with their duties for a couple more hours,” noted Minister for Social and Family Development Desmond Lee. “But I hope that parents, the public and other colleagues recognise the realities on the ground and not in a two-dimensional way. … I think we should not jump toRead more

A combination of isolation and quarantine measures, workplace distancing and school closures was found to be the most effective in curbing the spread of COVID-19 in a simulated model of Singapore’s population. And at this early stage, quarantine and workplace distancing should be prioritised over school closures. This was presented in a paper titled ‘Interventions to mitigate early spread of SARS-CoV-2 in Singapore: a modelling study’ published in The Lancet on 23 March 2020. The study analysed different combinations of measures and their potential outcomes in a simulated model setRead more

When pandemics like COVID-19 strike, authorities and governments are often fighting on two fronts. The first: understanding the virus, researching a cure and isolating infected populations. The second is the avalanche of fake news, rumours and lies posted by thousands across the internet – the accompanying ‘infodemic’. According to cybersecurity multinational Check Point, coronavirus-themed domains are 50 per cent more likely to be malicious than other domains. Experts suggest that while there is little evidence of mass-coordinated fake news campaigns, the biggest contributor to the infodemic is speculation and onlineRead more

Tighter measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 in Singapore were introduced this past week. These include shutting our borders to tourists and short-term visitors, banning large gatherings, and ordering pubs and entertainment outlets to close from tonight (26 March) 11.59pm until 30 April. This has left some people wondering if the country is in a ‘partial lockdown’. While there is no universal definition of a lockdown, in most countries it is a protocol triggered by an emergency that restricts the movement of people, vehicles and goods, and where citizensRead more

Among the 558 confirmed cases in Singapore, 326 were imported. Out of these, 111 cases were young adults aged between 20 and 29, with more than half returning from the United Kingdom. “The number of young people being infected reflects the demographics of people returning to Singapore as a result of the global situation, where a number of countries in Europe and North America are seeing widespread community transmission,” said Dean, Professor Teo Yik Ying. Despite previous reports suggesting that senior citizens are more vulnerable to infections, Prof Teo stressed:Read more

Associate Professor Jeremy Lim, Co-Director of Global Health was invited by Milken Institute to be part of their COVID-19 Conference Call Series discussing global efforts and approaches in combatting the coronavirus pandemic. Assoc Prof Lim shared and attributed Singapore’s relatively well-controlled outbreak to the following points: Timely formation of multi-ministry task force, Transparency which earned citizens’ trust in government, Public education on measures to prevent spread. The session was moderated by Mr Michael Milken, Chairman of Milken Institute, and Ms Katie O’Reilly, Executive Director of Business and Program Development at MilkenRead more

“You cannot fight a fire blindfolded and we cannot stop this pandemic if we don’t know who is infected. We have a simple message for all countries; test, test, test.” This was the message from the World Health Organization to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Many countries have imposed mass lockdowns and ordered people to stay home. But few have implemented widespread testing, including many European countries and US who are limiting tests for only the most critical of cases, as testing kits are in short supply. Singapore has managed toRead more