COVID-19 Scare In Singapore, FLiRT Variant To Spike In June

As time passes by, the Covid protocols fade away, but not Covid. In the latest development, Singapore is witnessing a fresh COVID-19 wave as the officials recorded 25,900 cases from May 5 to 11. The Health Minister Ong Ye Kung issued an advisory to restart wearing masks. “We are at the beginning part of the wave where it is steadily rising,” said Ong. “So, I would say the wave should peak in the next two to four weeks, which means between mid- and end of June,” the media report said.

Surprising Rise In Covid Cases

According to the data shared by the Ministry of Health, the estimated number of COVID-19 cases increased significantly from 13,700 in the week of April 28 to May 4 to 25,900 in a week. The number of cases being hospitalized surged from 181 to about 250.

To manage hospital bed capacity, public hospitals have been instructed to reduce non-urgent elective surgeries and transfer suitable patients to transitional care facilities or the Mobile Inpatient Care@Home program, which allows patients to receive hospital-level care at home.

Health Minister Ong Ye Kung urged those at high risk of severe illness, including individuals aged 60 and above, medically vulnerable people, and residents of aged care facilities, to get an additional COVID-19 vaccine dose if they haven’t received one in the past 12 months. Ong warned that if COVID-19 cases double, Singapore’s healthcare system will handle about 500 patients, which is manageable. However, a second doubling to 1,000 patients would significantly strain the system, equivalent to the capacity of one regional hospital. He emphasized that the healthcare system must prepare for this potential scenario.

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Currently, there are no plans to reintroduce social restrictions or other mandatory measures, as COVID-19 is being treated as an endemic disease in Singapore. Imposing additional measures would be a last resort. Ong noted that as a global transport and communications hub, Singapore is likely to experience COVID-19 waves earlier than other cities. He stated, “COVID-19 is something we have to live with. We should expect one or two waves each year.”

However the surge in COVID-19 cases drags a new variant known as FLiRT. KP.1 and KP.2 currently represent over two-thirds of the cases in Singapore. As of May 3, the World Health Organization has classified KP.2 as a variant under monitoring. The Ministry of Health (MOH) stated that there is no evidence, either globally or locally, suggesting that KP.1 and KP.2 are more transmissible or cause more severe illness than other circulating variants.

The public is urged to stay up to date with vaccinations to protect against current and emerging virus strains. While about 80% of the local population has completed their initial or additional dose, many have not received a dose within the past year.

Since the COVID-19 vaccination campaign began in 2020-2021, vaccines have consistently proven safe and effective in preventing severe illness. Billions of doses have been administered globally, with international safety monitoring confirming their safety. The MOH emphasized that there have been no long-term safety concerns with COVID-19 vaccines, and adverse effects, including those from mRNA vaccines, typically occur shortly after vaccination.