covid-19

During the recent parliamentary debate, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong noted that scientists have been talking about ‘Disease X’, a highly infectious, deadly disease whose pathogen mutates easily. “COVID-19 has been a disaster for the world, but it is not Disease X. It is not the worst new disease that can befall humankind,” said PMRead more

Just eight months into the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers and pharmaceutical companies worldwide are engaged in a global race to develop a vaccine that may potentially eradicate the deadly virus. According to the latest report from the World Health Organization, currently, 31 vaccines are in clinical evaluation, with another 142 candidate vaccines in preclinical evaluation. While

COVID-19 infection numbers have risen tremendously across several Southeast Asian countries over the recent weeks. The sudden surge in cases is mounting worries that the region could become a potential pandemic hot spot. Associate Professor Jeremy Lim, Director of Global Health, attributed the varying transmission rates across countries to four ‘B’s — Biology, Behaviour, Bureaucracy

It has been six months since COVID-19 hit Singapore, making mask-wearing and social distancing the ‘new normal’ now. However, our fight against the virus is increasingly turning into a mental battle as fatigue sets in. Over the weekend, crowds were observed gathering at shopping malls, eateries and beaches. Dean, Professor Teo Yik Ying commented that

Half a year after the first COVID-19 case was confirmed in Singapore, what are some of the lessons learnt so far and how can these shape the way we tackle the pandemic moving forward? The Straits Times held a webinar to examine this with an expert panel comprising Dean, Professor Teo Yik Ying, Professor Dale

Crowds return to the streets as Singapore enters phase two of re-opening last Friday. However, experts urge members of the public to remain cautious as the virus still lurks in the community. Dean, Professor Teo Yik Ying said, “While it is understandable that people want to return to some degree of normalcy in their lives,

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 virus

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

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