New wave of COVID-19 in Singapore may peak this week

The current COVID-19 wave in Singapore may reach its peak at the end of this week or even sooner, in the next one or two days, The Strait Times said, citing medical experts.

Medical workers collect a sample for COVID-19 testing in Singapore

The newspaper said the week-on-week infection ratio - which refers to the ratio of community cases for the past week, over the week before - is falling, which means that COVID-19 cases are increasing at a slower rate.

It quoted Professor Teo Yik Ying, dean of the NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, as saying that there are three key differences in the way Singapore is going into this wave compared with the previous ones.

First, the population is not only well vaccinated, but also well boosted, where almost 80% of the population have received their third booster shot.

Second, hospitals and community facilities are well prepared to handle any surge, with community facilities stepped up to relieve the pressure on hospitals.

Third, most people are equipped with the knowledge on how to handle infections should they or their family members become infected, including self-diagnosing with antigen rapid test (ART) kits, self-isolating at home, and not rushing to hospitals for treatment whenever they see a positive ART outcome.

"All of these mean Singapore is entering the wave with a degree of preparation that we did not have previously," Prof Teo added.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said on July 10 that Singapore should be able to tide over the current wave of Covid-19 infections without tightening restrictions.

Riding such a surge in cases without heightened measures is the definition of resilience, said Professor Dale Fisher, a senior infectious diseases consultant at the National University Hospital.

VNA