Singapore’s COVID-19 infection numbers appear to have levelled off over the past week, but experts have suggested people exercise caution and hide in crowded and enclosed places as a precaution.
Last week, Singapore’s Ministry of Health reported a 75% increase to 56,043 cases, up from 32,035 last week.
The seven-day rolling average of infections was 7,870 on Dec. 12 and dropped to 7,730 on Dec. 17, The Straits Times reported.
Experts have urged people to be socially responsible and mask up in crowded, enclosed places, even if they feel well, since the transmission of the virus occurs a day or two before symptoms appear.
“It’s going to be a bell curve over the Christmas break,” said Professor Dale Fisher, senior infectious disease representative at National University Hospital (NUH).
“You don’t know if the point has peaked until it peaks,” he told the newspaper on Tuesday.
While the numbers remain high, experts say it’s not a cause for concern, although severe illness and deaths tend to be lower than infection numbers.
During the week of December 3, a total of 9,763 people were hospitalized, with 23 admitted to intensive care units (ICUs).
The Ministry of Health is providing daily updates on COVID-19 infection figures since Dec. 19 “to provide the latest data on the scenario of this era of emerging cases. “
Professor Paul Tambyah of NUH, president of the International Society for Infectious Diseases, said other people don’t have to worry about emerging COVID-19 infections.
Instead, “they just take moderate precautions about their health, don’t go to the painting or school if they’re not feeling well, and instead seek medical attention,” Tambyah said.
“We should be concerned because a large number of infections will affect gyms and also lead to a higher number of severe illnesses and deaths,” Professor Hsu Li Yang, an infectious disease specialist at the National University of Singapore (NUS), quoted as saying.
“Everyone, plus those at minimal risk of severe COVID-19, is doing their part to slow the transmission of the virus,” Yang said.
The Health Ministry said public hospitals in the city-state were prepared to delay elective surgeries to free up beds in case of a surge in cases and increased demand for beds.
Most experts said that the most important number is not how many people are infected but how many need to be hospitalised or require intensive care.
Data from the Ministry of Health indicates that other people with minimal coverage (3 mRNA vaccines or 4 classic vaccines) whose last COVID-19 vaccine more than a year ago are almost twice as likely to want hospital care as someone who won a booster dose. in the past 12 months, the report says.
Professor Fisher added that the 23 Covid-19 patients in intensive care facilities are a far cry from the approximately 150 at the height of the pandemic.
He expects the current wave to continue to the end of 2023 before plateauing and dropping by early 2024.
Last week, the Health Department said it “strongly encourages” other people to wear a mask in crowded places, even if they are not sick, especially indoors or when visiting. visit other vulnerable people.
(This story has not been edited through Devdiscourse and is automatically generated from a syndicated feed. )