Covid-19 numbers can create public confusion over outcomes for the vaccinated

Simpler, clearer indicators can help the public interpret the sea of data on COVID-19 and avoid cognitive biases, says Duke-NUS’ David Matchar...

Read here (Channel News Asia, Nov 26, 2021)

Experts question relevance of SafeEntry, TraceTogether amid endemic Covid-19

‘Infectious diseases experts have questioned the need for continued widespread enforcement of TraceTogether and SafeEntry rules as Singapore moves towards more targeted contact tracing and living with endemic Covid-19. They noted that while daily new cases continue to number in the thousands, the vast majority of the population eligible for vaccination – 94 per cent – is fully vaccinated and most will show mild or no symptoms if infected. Extensive contact tracing, as was done in the early days of the pandemic, is no longer practical or necessary, they added.’

Read here (Straits Times, Nov 22, 2021)

Singapore's Covid response overlooked a major factor: Fear

‘Mastering data is only half the battle. A major reason hospitals were getting overwhelmed is because people were scared, and the government missed an opportunity to send the right message.

‘Singapore is very proud of its reputation for technocratic excellence. In recent months, government officials have tried to tackle the country’s most pressing question — how to live with Covid-19 — by scrutinizing, modeling and projecting data, as if staring hard enough at those little gray-rimmed boxes on Excel would produce the answer.

‘The trouble with this strategy is that living with Covid is messy, and the data will never look good. Countries that have been praised for the most meticulous of approaches to the outbreak have stumbled time and again. Ultimately, treating the coronavirus as endemic will require Singapore to do something it may find unnatural: think beyond the numbers.’

Read here (Bloomberg, Sept 29, 2021)

Frustration with those who refuse Covid-19 vaccination but making it compulsory is tricky: Infectious diseases experts

Ramping up communications to convince those on the fence, along with differentiated measures nudging more to take the shot can help get vaccination rates up, say infectious diseases experts on CNA’s Heart of the Matter podcast...

‘As someone who treats COVID-19 patients, Dr David Lye, Director of the Infectious Disease Research and Training Office at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID), says he has spoken to “thousands of people”, and he always has one message for them: Get vaccinated. As a researcher and a scientist, he admits he gets frustrated when he encounters people medically able to get a vaccine but choose not to. But would he go so far as to recommend that vaccines be made compulsory?

“To be honest, I am in favour of a vaccine mandate, but I'm also aware that the impact on individuals in these times can be devastating,” Dr Lye added, pointing to the possibility of the unvaccinated getting shut out of jobs if COVID-19 vaccination was made compulsory nationally.

‘He was speaking to Supervising Editor Lin Suling, host of Heart of the Matter podcast on Thursday (Sep 16).

‘Dr Ashley St John, Associate Professor at Duke-NUS Medical School’s Programme in Emerging Infectious Diseases, who was also on the podcast, agreed. "If you're asking me personally, it would be nice to have compulsory COVID-19 vaccines, but I also understand there are other policy considerations … beyond just the scientific aspects.”

Read here (Channel News Asia, Sept 18, 2021)

Singapore SARS survivors yield hope for Covid super vaccine

‘Survivors who lived through the SARS crisis in Singapore nearly two decades ago may yield hope for the development of a super vaccine to combat potent Covid-19 variants and even other coronaviruses, new research shows.

‘Scientists from the city-state’s Duke-NUS Medical School and National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID) have found “highly potent functional antibodies” in people who had severe acute respiratory syndrome and were vaccinated with Pfizer-BioNTech’s shots for Covid-19.’

Read here (Free Malaysia Today, August 21, 2021)

Covid-19 breathalyser tests could be used on large scale in Singapore soon

‘Mass deployment of Covid-19 breathalysers that produce results on the spot may soon happen here. This will facilitate safe travel arrangements and screenings at large-scale events.

‘The Straits Times has learnt that local medtech firm Silver Factory Technology is working with the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID), Changi Airport and security firm Certis to develop the breathalysers.

‘Silver Factory's breathalyser, TracieX, has been shown to be almost as accurate as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, while taking a fraction of the time - at two minutes - to turn in results.’

Read here (Straits Times, Apr 19, 2021)

Vaccinating Asia: How does world's largest continent immunise 4.5 billion people in shortest time possible?

‘It is a critical issue as the world rushes to achieve herd immunity against the coronavirus. How does the largest continent in the world immunise 4.5 billion people in the shortest time possible? The Straits Times bureaus find out in this special report.’

• Grappling with myriad challenges on path towards Covid-19 immunity
• Midwives and soldiers in Indonesia mobilised to support country's inoculation drive
• Millions of undocumented migrants in Malaysia keen on Covid-19 jab but wary of arrest
• Filipinos in search of coveted 'Covid-19 passport'
• India's greatest challenge lies in vaccinating rural villages
• Quality and quantity of Covid-19 vaccines in China hamper inoculation drive
• Hong Kong's Covid-19 vaccination drive zips ahead despite woes
• South Korean govt draws flak for not mandating Covid-19 vaccine holiday after roll-out delay
• South Korean man, Singaporean fiancee inoculated ahead of May wedding
• Japan's chequered past with vaccines raises fresh fears
• No rush for Covid-19 jab in Taiwan, given fears over side effects
• Religious, community groups, experts clear doubts about Covid-19 jabs in Singapore
• Church webinar in S'pore convinces senior to take Covid-19 jab
• Tapping TikTok videos and social media influencers to spread information on vaccines in Singapore
• MCI officers create skits, dances on TikTok to debunk Covid-19 myths
• Foodcourt chat to allay fears about Covid-19 shots among Singaporeans

Read here (Straits Times, Apr 2, 2021) 

Home Ground: Ethical issues in Covid-19 vaccine roll-outs

‘A principled and pragmatic approach to securing and allocating Covid-19 vaccines works best... ‘Every vaccination programme carries with it ethical concerns over, among other things, safety, efficacy and how to distribute and allocate the vaccine when there are limited supplies...

‘A vaccine programme in the middle of a global pandemic is even trickier. On the one hand, speedy access to the vaccine can make the difference between life and death. On the other hand, the vaccines for Covid-19 are new and relatively untested: The world is learning of side effects as millions more get jabbed; and while we know the short-term efficacy, no one knows how long the protection lasts.

‘As Prof Lim said at the webinar, rolling out vaccination in the middle of a public health emergency is like chasing after a moving target. This requires constant monitoring and updating of rules and plans.’

This account also discusses, in the Singapore context: (1) The race to get hold of supplies (2) Who gets jabbed first and why (3) Why giving a choice of vaccine is not a good idea.

Read here (Straits Times, Mar 12, 2021)

Immunitee Malaysia's first health passport accepted in Singapore

‘Malaysia’s Immunitee Health Passport has partnered with Temasek-founded Affinidi to become the country’s first health passport to be accepted in Singapore, via Affinidi’s Unifier digital credential platform.

‘The Immunitee Health Passport is a system designed to store personal immunisation records and vaccine data, which helps to facilitate users’ clearance at border health checkpoints, ensure data protection and security through blockchain, and verify the authenticity of Covid-19 tests and vaccines.

‘In a statement today, Immunitee said the Unifier platform provided interoperability, enabling the secure sharing of necessary data with the various national health check systems being put in place globally.’

Read here (The Edge, Feb 10, 2021)

Prevalence and outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 infection among migrant workers in Singapore

‘There were 43 dormitories housing 198 320 migrant workers with a median occupancy of 3578 (interquartile range, 1458-6120); 99.8% of residents were male, with a median age of 33 years (interquartile range, 28-39 years). As of July 25, 95.1% of all residents had at least 1 SARS-CoV-2 test, including 63.6% with PCR and 68.4% with serology. There were 111 280 residents with a positive PCR or serology result, for an overall infection prevalence of 56.1% (95% CI, 55.9%-56.3%) (range per dormitory, 0%-74.7%; median, 52.9%). 

‘There were 24 197 clinical cases (12.2% of all residents; 21.7% of infected) from 42 dormitories and 87 083 subclinical cases (43.9% of all residents; 78.3% of all infected) (Table). Of all clinical cases, 20 cases required ICU admission (0.08% [95% CI, 0.05%-0.13%]), with 1 COVID-19 attributable death (case-fatality rate, 0.004% [95% CI, 0.0002%-0.027%]).’

Read here (JamaNetwork, Feb 9, 2021) 

How Singapore picked its Covid-19 vaccines

‘Last June, Singapore sealed its first deal to buy Covid-19 vaccines - before any of the more than 200 vaccine candidates had even started their phase three clinical trials. It decided not to wait for the trials, and even paid a premium on the price, in order to secure some early stock of vaccines for people here at high risk, such as healthcare workers and the elderly. That was for the Moderna mRNA vaccine, which has yet to be approved for use here.

‘Singapore signed two more purchase agreements in August - with Sinovac which produces a traditional vaccine, and Pfizer-BioNTech which also uses mRNA. These purchases should provide sufficient vaccines for the entire adult population. But Singapore is buying more. Dr Benjamin Seet, who chaired the panel that picked the vaccines for Singapore, said several late-stage discussions are still ongoing with a handful of other companies - as part of a contingency plan should there be disruptions in the supply of purchased vaccines, delays in the delivery, or even the need for further booster shots.’

Read here (Straits Times, Feb 1, 2021) 

Covid-19 pandemic could last 4 to 5 years: Lawrence Wong

‘It may take four to five years before the COVID-19 pandemic ends and the world can look to a "post-COVID normal", said Education Minister Lawrence Wong on Monday (Jan 25). "At some point in time the pandemic will pass, but it may take four to five years before we finally see the end of the pandemic and the start of a post-COVID normal. What will this new post-COVID world look like? No one can tell," he said. Mr Wong, who co-chairs the COVID-19 multi-ministry taskforce, was speaking at the Singapore Perspectives 2021 conference hosted by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS).’

Read here (Channel News Asia, Jan 25, 2021)

Covid-19 vaccine is permissible for Muslim use, preservation of life is key consideration: MUIS

‘The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) said on Sunday (Dec 13) that it "holds the position that a COVID-19 vaccine is permissible for Muslim use". "We would advise and encourage Muslims to be vaccinated once it is available and when the vaccine has been medically authorised as safe and effective, as this is a basic necessity to protect lives in the context of a global pandemic," said MUIS.’

Read here (Channel News Asia, Dec 13, 2020)

Covid-19 vaccine: Will you take it? 8 in 10 say yes in ST poll

‘A recent survey commissioned by The Straits Times of 1,000 people aged 16 and above here found that about eight in 10 would say "yes" to getting a Covid-19 vaccination, with more than half in this group willing to get it the moment it is available. About 18 per cent of respondents, however, would not want to receive a Covid-19 vaccine, regardless of whether one was available today or in six to 12 months, although about half were willing to consider having one eventually.’

Read here (Straits Times, Dec 12, 2020)

NUS start-up develops 60-second breath test to detect Covid-19

‘Researchers in Singapore have developed a breath test to detect COVID-19 within a minute, said the National University of Singapore (NUS) on Tuesday (Oct 20). The test, which detects volatile organic compounds (VOC) in a person’s breath, achieved more than 90 per cent accuracy in a clinical trial involving 180 patients.’ 

Read here (Channel News Asia, Oct 20, 2020)

‘No longer groping in the dark’: NCID doctors share how Covid-19 is being treated in Singapore

‘So far, 28 people have died of COVID-19 in Singapore - one of the lowest mortality rates in the world. In the US, where there have been about 8 million cases, more than 200,000 people have died. As of Saturday (Oct 17), 37 COVID-19 patients remain hospitalised in Singapore, with none in intensive care. More than 99 per cent of those infected have been discharged, while there are 41 in community care facilities.

‘But it wasn't always like this. Three National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID) consultants told CNA how treatment of the novel coronavirus has evolved here and how NCID has kept the number of critical cases low.’

Read here (Channel News Asia, Oct 18, 2020)

Singapore, Hong Kong agree to set up air travel bubble for leisure travel without need for quarantine: Ong Ye Kung

‘Singapore has announced its first two-way air travel bubble with Hong Kong, paving the way for leisure and other forms of travel between both places. This means that people will be able to travel between the two locations without the need to be quarantine, subject to conditions, including testing negative for Covid-19. Details are still being worked out, but people could be travelling between both places in several weeks.’

Read here (Straits Times, Oct 16, 2020)

How Singapore helped with US President Trump's Covid-19 treatment

 ‘When it comes to fighting against the Covid-19 pandemic, Singapore has been punching above its weight. Blood samples from three patients here were used to develop the experimental antibody cocktail used to treat US President Donald Trump after he tested positive for the coronavirus.

‘The National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID) had responded to a collaboration request from US biotechnology firm Regeneron - the company which developed that antibody cocktail - with no claim of intellectual property right over the treatment.’

Read here (Straits Times, Oct 10, 2020)

Countries should meet these five criteria before easing lockdowns, study says. Many aren't even close

‘Countries should not ease coronavirus lockdown restrictions until they meet five criteria -- and many nations are not even close, according to a new analysis published in The Lancet medical journal. The research, published Thursday, said that the prerequisites for easing Covid-19 measures are: knowledge of infection status, community engagement, adequate public health capacity, adequate health system capacity and border controls.

‘The authors looked at nine high-income countries and territories that have started to relax restrictions -- Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Germany, Norway, Spain and the UK. They found that many governments had failed to meet the criteria necessary to avoid new waves of infection, as seen in Spain, Germany and the UK.’

Read here (CNN, Sept 25, 2020)

Why the United States is having a coronavirus data crisis

 ‘Political meddling, disorganization and years of neglect of public-health data management mean the country is flying blind...

‘Almost every day for the past seven months, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has updated its website with near-real-time information on local outbreaks. The site also reports several COVID-19 statistics for every region of the country. Data dashboards in Singapore and New Zealand offer similar windows into how the coronavirus is spreading within their borders. This helps policymakers and citizens determine how to go about daily life, while reducing risks—and provides researchers with a wealth of data. 

‘By contrast, the United States offers vanishingly few details on how the disease is spreading, even as people increasingly socialize and travel, and authorities reopen schools and businesses. This state of affairs is frustrating data researchers, who want to help authorities make decisions that can save lives...

‘Although information isn’t the only tool that can be used against a pandemic, South Korea’s attention to data correlates with its overall success at controlling the outbreak: the country has had about 3.5 cases per 10,000 people overall, and there have been around 2 COVID-19 deaths per week over the past month. By contrast, the United States has had 175 cases per 10,000 people overall, and about 7,000 people have died of the disease every week for the past month.’

Read here (Scientific American, August 26, 2020)