The epidemic is struck! Singapore, act urgently!

The pandemic hit Singapore.

The latest data shows that the number of Covid infections in Singapore is surging significantly. Singapore's Ministry of Health said that in the week of May 5-11, the estimated number of coronavirus cases increased sharply to 25,900 from 13,700 in the previous week, an increase of 89.1% month-on-month. The average number of people hospitalised for COVID in Singapore increased from 181 to about 250 per day during the same period.

In the face of a potential new round of the pandemic, the Singapore government has taken urgent action and is closely tracking the trajectory of the epidemic and has asked public hospitals to prepare. At the same time, the Singapore authorities are urging people to wear masks and get vaccinated, and will significantly extend the opening hours of vaccination centers.

One of the reasons for the surge in COVID infections in Singapore is that the COVID variants KP.1 and KP.2 are spreading rapidly. Singapore's health ministry wrote in the bulletin that more than two-thirds of cases are now locally infected with the KP.1 and KP.2 variants. But as of now, there is no indication globally or in Singapore that KP.1 and KP.2 cause more severe disease than other circulating variants.

Singapore suddenly

The Singapore government has suddenly sounded the alarm about a potential new round of Covid epidemics.

The latest data shows that the number of Covid infections in Singapore is surging significantly. Singapore's Ministry of Health said the estimated number of coronavirus cases increased significantly to 25,900 in the week of May 5-11 from 13,700 in the previous week, an 89.1 per cent increase month-on-month.

According to a new report released by Singapore's Ministry of Health, the average number of people hospitalised for COVID in Singapore per day increased from 181 to about 250 during the same period.

Singapore's Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said that if the number of Covid cases doubled, there would be 500 patients in Singapore's healthcare system, which Singapore could handle. But he pointed out that if the number of cases doubles for the second time, the number of patients will reach 1,000, "which will place a considerable burden on the hospital system".

Although the number of cases in intensive care units is still low, Singapore's Ministry of Health has asked public hospitals to be prepared, and has instructed public hospitals to reduce non-urgent surgeries and refer appropriate patients to nursing facilities.

This has caused a high level of alarm in the Singapore government, which said that the current government is closely tracking the trajectory of the new wave of the new wave of the epidemic.

Wang Yikang expects the current wave of new crown infections to peak in the next two to four weeks. He issued a reminder to the public, advising them to wear masks and get vaccinated again.

Ong Ye Kung warned that Singapore, as a global transport and communications hub, will experience the coronavirus wave earlier than other cities: "So COVID is something we have to live with. We expect one or two waves per year. ”

"We are at the beginning of this wave, and it (the number of COVID infections) is steadily rising," Wang predicted. This wave will peak in the next two to four weeks, that is, between mid-June and the end of June. ”

Urgent action

On May 20, The Staits Times reported that antigen rapid test (ART) kits to assess COVID-19 infections were snapped up on the shelves of many pharmacies over the weekend following news that Singapore is currently facing a new wave of the pandemic.

According to the report, Irene Lau, managing director of Watsons Singapore, said that in the past week, the demand for new crown test kits at Watsons has surged by more than 150%. "Our store is fully stocked and has been restocked. We are constantly looking for cooperation with our partners to respond quickly to further increases in demand. ”

At the same time, Singapore's pharmacy chains have seen an increase in demand for Covid-related items such as masks, test kits, and cough and cold medicines.

In the face of a new wave of epidemics, the Singapore government has taken urgent action and is urging people to get vaccinated.

Singapore's health ministry noted that one of the reasons for the surge in COVID cases is that the population's immunity may have weakened. 80% of the local population has completed the first dose or additional dose of COVID vaccination, but has not been vaccinated in the past year.

Singapore's Health Minister Ong Ye Kung has advised to focus on those at highest risk of contracting the disease (including those aged 60 and above, residents living in aged care facilities, etc.) and get an additional dose if they have not been vaccinated in the past 12 months.

Singapore's Ministry of Health will send text messages to individuals who have not received any COVID vaccines in the past 12 months to remind them to stay up to date. The updated COVID vaccine continues to be available at no cost to all eligible residents.

Between May 21 and June 29, the five Joint Testing and Vaccination Centres extended their business hours on Saturdays and on the eve of public holidays to 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. instead of the usual 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Talking about social restrictions, Ong Ye Kung said that the Singapore government does not currently have any plans for social restrictions, but did not rule out taking additional measures as a last resort.

Covid variant raids

Another reason for the new outbreak in Singapore is the rapid spread of the new COVID variants KP.1 and KP.2.

Currently, globally, the COVID variant JN.1 and its sublineages, including KP.1 and KP.2, remain the dominant COVID variants, the Singapore health ministry wrote in the announcement. In Singapore, the KP.1 and KP.2 variants currently account for more than two-thirds of cases.

In early May, the World Health Organization (WHO) listed KP.2 as a "variant under surveillance", which means that WHO has sent a signal to the global public health sector that this new variant of COVID may require priority attention and monitoring.

KP.2 has begun to spread in several countries and has become the dominant circulating strain in the United States, accounting for 28% of cases in the United States as of mid-May. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), that figure is significantly higher than 6% in mid-April and 1% in mid-March. In Canada, too, KP.2 has taken over.

Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO's technical lead for COVID-19, said that KP.2 is a descendant lineage of JN.1 and that there are additional mutations in the KP.2 spike protein.

Currently, there is no indication globally or in Singapore that KP.1 and KP.2 cause more severe disease than other circulating variants.

Dr. Robert Murphy, an infectious disease expert in the United States, said that while the symptoms and severity appear to be roughly the same as previous strains of the new coronavirus, the new variant appears to be more contagious.

Lawrence Young, a virologist and professor of molecular oncology at the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom, warned that KP.2 could cause a wave of infections in the summer. Early evidence suggests that KP.2 appears to be more contagious than previous substrains.

But so far, KP.1 has not been shown to cause more severe disease, and the COVID vaccine is still effective.

Editor-in-charge: Tactical Heng

Proofreader: Li Lingfeng