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The COVID-19 pandemic is a global health and economic crisis that requires a concerted global response. So far, responses have mostly been at the country or city level, in part because pandemic preparedness planning and implementation have largely been the responsibility of individual governments. But this has to change if the world is to emerge from this pandemic stronger, wrote Dean, Professor Teo Yik Ying and Professor David Heymann in an opinion editorial for The Straits Times. They said that country lockdowns that are individually executed have limited effect. “TheyRead more

Singapore managed to contain the outbreak in its first two months here, earning praise from around the world. However, the number of cases has steadily risen in the past few weeks; first with imported cases as people returned home, and then with local cases as the virus spread within the community. Over the last week, the number of new daily local cases remained high, with many linked to foreign worker dormitories. “The virus has been very efficient at highlighting to us the weaknesses of our societies — that’s certainly theRead more

The Public Health Translational Team (PHTT) has been producing the weekly COVID-19 Science Reports since the beginning of the epidemic in Singapore. It started when Professor Tan Chorh Chuan, Chief Health Scientist at the Ministry of Health (MOH), asked for the School’s help to collate relevant information on diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines. The first report was delivered within four days, and more topics, such as clinical characteristics and social distancing measures, were added in the following weeks. Prof Tan said the reports have been very useful for MOH’s work, asRead more

Singapore’s ‘circuit breaker’ measures aim to lower the basic reproduction number of COVID-19, also known as R0 (prounounced R-naught), and reduce the average number of people who catch the virus from a single infected person. According to Vice Dean (Research), Associate Professor Alex Cook, data suggests that Singapore’s cumulative measures to contain the outbreak have been successful in driving down R0 to be at or below one since the start of the outbreak in January. This means that each infected person here spreads the disease to about one other personRead more

The ‘circuit breaker’, Singapore’s tightest measures so far to curb the spread of the virus, started on 7 April and will last for at least four weeks. It calls for Singaporeans to stay at home as far as possible, and to keep contact with others to a minimum and within the immediate household. The measures include the closure of all schools and non-essential workplaces. Senior Health Correspondent at The Straits Times, Ms Salma Khalik wrote that whether the ‘circuit breaker’ is extended depends on three main areas of viral transmission:Read more

Amid the evolving COVID-19 situation, the Singapore government is no longer discouraging people from wearing masks when they are well. The new evidence suggests that infected people may be able to spread the virus to others for two to three days before becoming ill, says Associate Professor Hsu Li Yang, Programme Leader (Infectious Diseases). He said, “By wearing a mask — even a cloth mask — these pre- or asymptomatic persons may be a little less likely to spread the virus to others.” When removing their masks, people should beRead more

On 3 April, Singapore announced a set of ‘circuit breaker’ measures to reduce local transmission of COVID-19 here. These include closure of workplace premises and schools shifting to full home-based learning. The latest measures work like a ‘circuit breaker’ as they restrict the number of people that are moving in the community and in public spaces, said Dean, Professor Teo Yik Ying. Referring to the closing of schools, Prof Teo said, “This is not a u-turn in any measures. The coronavirus situation constantly evolves, and our measures as a nationRead more

With an escalating number of unlinked cases, Singapore is likely to see a surge in COVID-19 cases in the coming weeks. New cases with no apparent links to existing cases are a cause for concern as they signal greater community transmission, said Vice Dean (Research), Associate Professor Alex Cook. He said: “We have three different kinds of cases. We’ve got imported cases and these are ones that are perhaps not so much of a concern because they are issued stay-home notices, which isolates them from creating secondary cases in theRead more

The total number of COVID-19 cases in Singapore has crossed 1,000 recently. Members of the public are urged to observe the increasingly stringent measures implemented to contain the outbreak. In his interviews with The Straits Times and Channel 8, Dean, Professor Teo Yik Ying emphasised the importance of each individual following these measures: Wash your hands regularly with soap Take your temperature twice daily Refrain from going out unless necessary (for example, to exercise as part of keeping fit, or to purchase groceries) Observe safe distancing in public areas CoverRead more

Starting 1 January 2021, the minimum legal age to smoke in Singapore will be raised to 21 years old. This is part of the Ministry of Health’s continued efforts to de-normalise smoking and reduce smoking prevalence in youths. Commenting on the rationale behind the raised legal age limit, Assistant Professor Yvette van der Eijk said that such measures reduce access to cigarettes for those aged between 18 and 21, especially during a crucial time period before ‘early experimentations’ turn into an addiction. “The later someone starts (smoking), the less likelyRead more

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