COVID-19: Official Information and Useful Health Tips

[kobayashiGT]

Interim List of Household Products and Active Ingredients for Disinfection of Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV).pdf

[Jman888]

[Weez911]

On 2/4/2020 at 2:23 AM, Vinceng said:

Singapore says there's no need to wear a mask if you are healthy.

But China is ordering everyone, including those who are healthy, to wear a mask.

So who is correct?

It doesn't matter now, cos you can't find a mask to wear in Sg even if you are not healthy. All can't wear.

[Blueray]

Workers returning from mainland China to serve mandatory Leave of Absence; S$100 allowance for employers

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SINGAPORE: It will be mandatory for all workers returning from mainland China to be placed on a 14-day Leave of Absence (LOA) as Singapore steps up measures to contain the coronavirus situation, Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong said on Thursday (Feb 6).

Employers must notify the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) before their employees return so that the Government can “stagger the return of these workers and manage the flow better”, added Mr Wong.

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/wuhan-coronavirus-leave-absence-financial-support-staff-loa-12401360

[Blueray]

DORSCON

https://www.gov.sg/article/what-do-the-different-dorscon-levels-mean

 

[therock]

It’s still Yellow today but expect some changes soon. 

 

[therock]

We are now orange .. 

All hospitals working on plans

NUS teaching restrictions coming into place 

[Blueray]

Coronavirus outbreak: Singapore raises DORSCON level to orange; schools to suspend inter-school, external activities

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SINGAPORE: Following several cases of novel coronavirus without any links to previous cases or travel history to mainland China, Singapore raised its Disease Outbreak Response System Condition (DORSCON) level from yellow to orange on Friday (Dec 7).

With immediate effect, schools will suspend inter-school and external activities until the end of the March holidays, said the Ministry of Health (MOH). These include the national school games, learning journeys and camps. All schools and teachers will also continue to implement already announced enhanced measures such as classroom-based assemblies.

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/wuhan-coronavirus-dorscon-orange-singapore-risk-assessment-12405180

[Blueray]

What you need to know about additional precautionary measures under DORSCON Orange

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ROLE OF INDIVIDUALS

The measures taken so far will only be effective in containing the spread of the virus if individuals also play their part, said MOH. Those who are unwell should stay at home, and wear a mask if they must go out to see a doctor. In particular, they should avoid coming into close and sustained contact with others. 

MOH also stressed that the novel coronavirus is transmitted through contact with droplets from infected individuals, either directly or indirectly, through hands that have come into contact with these droplets. The virus can also transmit through surfaces that have been contaminated with these droplets. 

“Even with community transmission, the most effective method to prevent transmission remains through good personal hygiene of regular hand washing with soap and water, and the use of hand sanitisers when soap and water are unavailable. 

“We should avoid touching our face unnecessarily, and especially if our hands are not clean,” said the Ministry, adding that people are advised not to shake hands during this period.

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/wuhan-virus-coronavirus-dorscon-12405178

[therock]

The constant niggling question is about masks

do you wear one?

Well masks in GENERAL are useful but given scarce resources the utility comes into play. 

A mask does help with prevention of transmission when a sick person is spewing droplets and for the healthy it does prevent inhaling the droplets. 

BUT droplet infections have a typical range of 2-3m. Contact contamination is a far more insidious means of transmission. 

That means good personal hand hygiene is far more important. If we burn through 200000 masks daily in a hospital on a regular basis, there will never be enough especially when the population gets paranoid. 

Instead focus on prevention of close contact and again, good hygiene. 

If you feel rich and can afford masks at any price we will still give the same advice. Give the masks to the needy such as those who need it, stay away from crowds and stay healthy. 

If you need to visit at risk places, then wear one. Normal citizens don’t need the N95 masks. 

Keep cleaning the home and we can ride it out together. We have beaten past epidemics but we need everyone to play their part. 

If one is sick and fit the criteria, get help. Otherwise stick to a healthy routine and maintain normal daily activities of living but with heightened health. Be responsible and civic minded, now and even when the epidemic is over  

Keep calm and carry on. 

[car50]

1 hour ago, therock said:

The constant niggling question is about masks

do you wear one?

Well masks in GENERAL are useful but given scarce resources the utility comes into play. 

A mask does help with prevention of transmission when a sick person is spewing droplets and for the healthy it does prevent inhaling the droplets. 

BUT droplet infections have a typical range of 2-3m. Contact contamination is a far more insidious means of transmission. 

That means good personal hand hygiene is far more important. If we burn through 200000 masks daily in a hospital on a regular basis, there will never be enough especially when the population gets paranoid. 

Instead focus on prevention of close contact and again, good hygiene. 

If you feel rich and can afford masks at any price we will still give the same advice. Give the masks to the needy such as those who need it, stay away from crowds and stay healthy. 

If you need to visit at risk places, then wear one. Normal citizens don’t need the N95 masks. 

Keep cleaning the home and we can ride it out together. We have beaten past epidemics but we need everyone to play their part. 

If one is sick and fit the criteria, get help. Otherwise stick to a healthy routine and maintain normal daily activities of living but with heightened health. Be responsible and civic minded, now and even when the epidemic is over  

Keep calm and carry on. 

Thanks, Good advice bro 

[Blueray]

Novel coronavirus in Singapore: What we know about the 40 confirmed cases

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Nine of the confirmed cases - 19, 20, 21, 24, 25, 27, 28, 34 and 40 - are linked to a cluster associated with a medical products shop called Yong Thai Hang at 24 Cavan Road. 

Three patients - 30, 36 and 39 - are linked to a private business meeting at Grand Hyatt Singapore.

A possible cluster of five cases - 8, 9, 31, 33 and 38 - are linked to The Life Church and Missions Singapore at Paya Lebar.

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/wuhan-virus-singapore-what-we-know-confirmed-cases-12324270

[Blueray]

Coronavirus in Singapore so far: Of the 40 cases, 23 are male, 17 female; median age is 41 and five patients are aged 56

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/novel-coronavirus-cases-in-singapore

[Icemaiden]

On 2/7/2020 at 6:14 PM, therock said:

The constant niggling question is about masks

do you wear one?

Well masks in GENERAL are useful but given scarce resources the utility comes into play. 

A mask does help with prevention of transmission when a sick person is spewing droplets and for the healthy it does prevent inhaling the droplets. 

BUT droplet infections have a typical range of 2-3m. Contact contamination is a far more insidious means of transmission. 

That means good personal hand hygiene is far more important. If we burn through 200000 masks daily in a hospital on a regular basis, there will never be enough especially when the population gets paranoid. 

Instead focus on prevention of close contact and again, good hygiene. 

If you feel rich and can afford masks at any price we will still give the same advice. Give the masks to the needy such as those who need it, stay away from crowds and stay healthy. 

If you need to visit at risk places, then wear one. Normal citizens don’t need the N95 masks. 

Keep cleaning the home and we can ride it out together. We have beaten past epidemics but we need everyone to play their part. 

If one is sick and fit the criteria, get help. Otherwise stick to a healthy routine and maintain normal daily activities of living but with heightened health. Be responsible and civic minded, now and even when the epidemic is over  

Keep calm and carry on. 

Not sure of this kind of advice is helpful at all. This advice only works if one only transmits when one is sick, but for this Wuhan virus, many patients are asymtomatic when they are spreading, in short, you don't know if you are a carrier or not. I see channel 8 every 2 hours keep telling the people PLEASE DON'T WEAR MASK UNLESS YOU ARE SICK. I don't think this is helpful advice for the elderly and the weak. And our people will just follow government advice.

If there is not enough masks, just say so. there is not enough masks stocked up in SG. therefore bo bian, please do not wear mask unnecessarily. do not send all the minsters telling people masks are useless etc. and go around DISCOURAGING people wearing masks.

And the reason why people are not wearing masks? Every household only got 4 which means each person only has 1. That is why everyone is keeping that one precious mask for a real pandemic. But i wonder had we been more vigilent in wearing mask, e.g. the man who went to the church and spread to 5, maybe that could have been prevented.

And one of the possible reasons why SG is the highest outside china even though we are much further and smaller population because we are not as vigilant as the rest of the countries (e.g. Taiwan and HK) in wearing masks. 

If there is any lesson learnt, I think our govt should consider stocking up more masks (in case of any virus pandemic) as well have some manufacturing facility in SG. Human beings can survive a long time without food (with water), but when a uncurable disease and pandemic strike and it mask could help prevent the spread, ensuring enough supply is critical.

And also, for families, once this crisis tide over, please stock up some masks (once supply becomes available) for future use.  Mask is not something very expensive. Saving lives is more important that your haolian overseas trip and branded bags and Michelin restaurant food. 

 

Edited February 10, 2020 by Icemaiden

[Blueray]

Novel coronavirus in Singapore: What we know about the patients who have fully recovered

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/coronavirus-singapore-fully-recovered-patients-list-12416232

some good news

 

[13177]

1 hour ago, Blueray said:

Novel coronavirus in Singapore: What we know about the patients who have fully recovered

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/coronavirus-singapore-fully-recovered-patients-list-12416232

some good news

 

Good to know that recover rate is still possible and high even infected with this virus. 

[Blueray]

 

[Carbon82]

What's in a Name? Why WHO's Formal Name for the New Coronavirus Disease Matters

On Tuesday, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared an official name for the new coronavirus disease: COVID-19 — making sure not to reference Wuhan, the central Chinese city where the virus originated. COVID-19 stands for Corona Virus Disease 19.

“Having a name matters to prevent the use of other names that can be inaccurate or stigmatizing,” said Director-General of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “It also gives us a standard format to use for any future coronavirus outbreaks.” The WHO referenced guidelines set in 2015 that ensure the name does not refer to a geographical location, an animal, an individual or group of people, while still being pronounceable and related to the disease.

Public health experts agree with the choice not to name the disease after a geographic region in China.

If the new name had included a reference to Wuhan it would put a “tremendous stigmatization on the people of Wuhan who are the victims” of the disease, Wendy Parmet, a law professor at Northeastern University and public health expert, tells TIME.

“People tend to think of the disease as belonging to, as being a characteristic of some group of people associated with the place name, which can be really stigmatizing,” Parmet says. “To be thought of as a hole of disease is not going to be productive. It encourages the next city not to come forward, not to report a disease if your city is labeled as the disease.”

Following the outbreak of the new coronavirus, there have been reports of xenophobic incidents and attitudes, particularly towards people of Asian descent.

Experts note though that there is a “long history” of diseases being named in ways that include particular groups of people or places or animals.

Around the 1500s in France, Syphilis was called the Italian disease and in Italy it was called it the French disease. The 1918 influenza pandemic was widely called the Spanish Flu in the U.S., even though it did not originate in Spain. In 2009, the WHO stopped using the term “swine flu” and replaced it with Influenza A (H1N1), following a drop in the pork market. Ebola was named after a river near where the outbreak first originated.

The WHO now notes the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, the Spanish Flu, Swine Flu and the Chagas disease as examples of names that are should be avoided when looking to name new diseases.

Arnold Monto, a professor of epidemiology at the University of Michigan’s School of Public Health, says it’s important to be sensitive to different cultures when naming a disease. “If you have a name which is regional and it spreads globally, it’s confusing,” Monto says.

In the case of the new coronavirus, the WHO has specified a name for the disease but not the virus. The virus has been named the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) by the Coronavirus Study Group of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses, which is responsible for the official classification of viruses. The committee recognized the new coronavirus’ similarities to the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) pandemic that occurred between 2002-2003.

For the disease, it’s ideal to have a name that’s easy to pronounce like COVID-19, Parmet says: it’s short, easy to say and two syllables. “You want something that’s easy and that people are going to keep using otherwise they’re going to substitute it with more problematic slang,” she says.