covid-19

Some patients who tested positive for COVID-19 had visited a doctor twice or thrice before it was confirmed that they were infected. Programme Leader (Infectious Diseases), Associate Professor Hsu Li Yang explains that general practitioners are sometimes unable to identify suspected cases on the first visit to the clinic because the initial symptoms of COVID-19 are similar to flu or the common cold. “Without other indicators such as a recent travel history to mainland China or contact with other confirmed cases, it would not be easy for GPs to differentiateRead more

Studies have shown that viruses thrive better in cool, dry climates, and they do not persist well in hot, humid environments (over 30°C and 80 per cent humidity level). Singapore’s tropical climate makes it less conducive for the spread of the novel coronavirus — now officially named COVID-19 — but this also means there is extensive use of air-conditioning as a way to escape from the heat. “Air-conditioning is something that can’t be helped in Singapore, especially during the hot months,” said Associate Professor Hsu Li Yang, Programme Leader (Infectious

As of 2pm on 2 February 2020, there have been no new confirmed cases of 2019-nCoV infection in Singapore. All the confirmed cases have recent travel history to Wuhan, and there are currently no reports of local transmission here. “There is a good chance that there will be no, or very limited, community spread in Singapore if we keep up with what we are doing thus far,” said Professor Chia Kee Seng. “If there is no or little community transmission, wearing masks on public transport is unnecessary,” he said, in

The new coronavirus has infected nearly 600 people in China and claimed 17 lives. It is in the same family as the viruses that cause SARS and MERS. The symptoms are similar to influenza, in that there is cough and fever, but there is pneumonia in people infected with the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV). Considering the measures currently taken by authorities, as well as lessons from the SARS epidemic, Associate Professor Hsu Li Yang, Programme Leader (Infectious Diseases), says that the 2019-nCoV is unlikely to become a global pandemic. “This

The Ministry of Health, Singapore (MOH) announced on 22 January 2020 that it has set up a ministerial task force to deal with the novel coronavirus. “It is inevitable that we will see an imported case sooner or later,” said Health Minister Gan Kim Yong, adding that this is because of the evolving situation and the high volume of traffic in and out of Singapore. He said, “I think it’s better for us to pre-empt some of these potential risks and do what we can to mitigate the risk. …

The new coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan continues to develop with over 400 cases in China and other countries, including Thailand, Japan, South Korea and US. With more people infected by the virus and confirmation that the bug can be transmitted from human to human, the Ministry of Health, Singapore (MOH) has issued a health advisory, urging the public to remain vigilant and adopt good personal hygiene practices. Travellers and members of the public should adopt the following precautions at all times: Avoid contact with live animals including poultry and birds;