COVID-19: Official Information and Useful Health Tips

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Coronavirus: 5 good personal hygiene practices to keep the virus at bay

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1. USE TISSUE PAPER WHENEVER SNEEZING OR COUGHING AND DISPOSE OF IT PROPERLY

After using tissue paper to sneeze, cough or blow your nose, wrap it with another piece of clean tissue paper and throw them away in a dustbin. In hawker centres, do not leave soiled tissue paper on the table for cleaners to pick up.

2. USE SERVING SPOONS WHEN HAVING GROUP MEALS

The virus has spread in two clusters through group meals. It is best not to share food. If group meals cannot be avoided, using serving spoons can prevent germs spreading from one person to another.

3. EAT ON TRAYS

This will prevent food from spilling or dripping from plates and bowls onto the tables, and cleaners having to pick them up, potentially spreading diseases.

4. KEEP PUBLIC TOILETS CLEAN AND DRY

This will reduce the spread of diseases and viruses such as Covid-19 and dengue within the community.

5. WASH HANDS WITH SOAP REGULARLY AND TAKE TEMPERATURE DAILY

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/coronavirus-5-good-personal-hygiene-practices-to-keep-the-virus-at-bay

[therock]

https://www.facebook.com/pg/NUSMedicine/photos/?tab=album&album_id=2941972405853207&__xts__[0]=68.ARDEJIe18dyXferwYBr80tx2n7nEOdOe97yrfXKBtje-QD3lrk6TSd2Xuw_fKsS8NzDV5i3w1R-Gd9FaJ7IgbEzYXPYKXjerxQDcXJgZUG8B6z9OUgCzYAJL8MXcbyPvuXlmKF2VkhjL_rpvBVODLQmGS8Dx2FZOm-hKnLI8yQYsk5rLbY1G5MWMJu5KDDIS0JFynRUVrPBw-xds8ZN88NdFnrzhl4h8Zgl5rug8ZXfdemdusVFUz9XzIGvqdRh00iigJYvXiQSiSug9oiODUuSArZ-xHwOcvbbvpcX-9NWxa2OuhNvzqGK9UudGaIRLiIIiC5jBYN7CvXNm7Rjg7h9LUGaoSb8zi2CWZuJ3Nv3imHzcJztaNaxmZGTR_t0WkuTeK2P33DLFFapYRhSm9cOfFpuB7AfQQlGNV_ZswUq_eQv-yGKt3NfL9EdOavFK6-GpS1E1hRWiwd852fFN&__tn__=-UC-R

[Tianmo]

On 2/29/2020 at 12:21 PM, therock said:

[therock]

 

[therock]

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/five-of-six-face-masks-fail-absorbency-test

 

Not every mask is equal...

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SINGAPORE - The humble three-ply surgical mask has become the hottest commodity during the coronavirus outbreak, with many buying what they can get their hands on.

But experts warn that while masks may look the same, the quality can vary wildly.

A recent test conducted by The Sunday Times showed that some are, in fact, made of poor quality materials and may just be giving users a false sense of security.

Mr Winthrop Wong, director of Wellchem Pharmaceuticals, whose surgical masks are used by hospitals here, said that masks that go into Singapore's national stockpile would need to meet American and/or European standards in terms of breathability, bacteria-filtration efficacy, water-resistance, absorbency and non-flammability.

For a surgical mask to work, the outer-most layer should be water-resistant, and the middle layer, which is used to trap bacteria, should not be too porous.

The innermost layer has to be able to absorb moisture such as saliva, mucus and sneeze droplets.

 

[therock]

Hindsight is typically 20/20, and now that we have been experiencing this crisis for a while, we can reflect back on how SG has managed this.

Overall, apart from one minister's silly picture with the background of a warehouse filled with masks, IMO, SG has done pretty well on the whole. BUT I hasten to add, we are not out of the woods and should Not let our guard down.

Even so, the decision to tell our people not to use masks indiscriminately has been the right one. Right now, the customs people in USA, doctors in Italy and healthcare personnel around the world have to face this virus without the right gear. We are not even talking about PPE. Basic items like masks are scarce all round the world. This week, even face masks are now harder to come by. 

This is a big deal, because we are still not out of the woods. It also means there are frontline staff who have to face this without the right gear. Imagine going to war without a rifle, or bullets... we need to keep the supplies for a long battle.

Our panic buying was brief and thankfully free from violence. I fear for those in USA, where guns are far more common. A fracas can easily turn violent. In Australia, they used fists, in USA, they can easily escalate to using guns. Someone will still persist that "guns don't kill, people do", but then you will see that guns kill more than many diseases in the world.

The ridicule we experienced from those 'developed' countries is now the source of embarrassment of the same countries who laughed at us. Kudos to CCS for calling out these odd chaps. 

As for doctors who go to work whilst infected with the Covid, that's a no no. 
BUT if every doctor who felt ill took a sick day, guess what, the very same people who complained about the doctor will then complain about long queues and waiting times or worse, cancelled appointments. Unless you have a lot of insurance and enjoy private high end health care, the average person goes to subsidised care, and there, you see overworked medical staff who are trying to cope with an impatient crowd who expect twice the service and expect to pay half or less. 

There is no reserve or spare. One healthcare person down means that the remaining team works much harder. And in such times, where safety is paramount, you either compromise on safety, or face more irate patients who do not care or appreciate that you are short staffed. Even been to a polyclinic? Each doctor may see 50-60 patients a day, sometimes more and once a colleague is down, you will see 10-20 more that day. It's no joke and the people who come are not feeling too grateful for the extra wait. Complaints pile in, for the remaining team, for no fault of their own. So what can the sick person do? Stay home for safety, or endure and work, especially when they are not sure what they have and also do not fit the criteria for the screening Covid test?

Remember, the criteria differs across countries and did not cover USA for that Aussie doctor. Many countries have decided to have very strict screening criteria, and is the reason because they cannot cope if there are more cases or are there political reasons not to report more cases? That is something to be discussed and discovered.

It won't surprise me, even the great USA is having trouble coping and their president seems rather keen to down play the whole event. I suspect the fact that they do not seem well prepared and are not ready to provide free care or screening is one of the reasons. No masks for frontline staff? Conflicting messages, messy lines of reporting?

They are in for a rough time.

So be nice to the overworked, underpaid medical staff, and for the relatively mild current situation locally. Stay vigilant, and safe. In such times we are tested, and this is how our mettle and resolve will show. 

 

[Blueray]

How to stop touching your face amid the Covid-19 outbreak

Read more at https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/05/health/stop-touching-your-face.html

[therock]

[therock]

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/coronavirus-who-is-considered-a-contact-of-an-infected-patient

 

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There are three categories of contacts who may have encountered patients infected with the coronavirus.

Close contacts are those who had been in close proximity - about 2m - to the patient, and spent about 30 minutes or more with him.

These would typically be family members, close colleagues or travelling companions. They would be at higher risk of exposure and would have to be quarantined.

In the second tier are moderate-risk contacts, who may have come into contact with the patient but were not in close proximity or for a prolonged period - for instance, someone who encountered the patient at a check-in counter or a person who drove a patient from the airport to the hotel on a ride is shorter than 30 minutes.

This group would be put under phone surveillance, but not made to stay home or be quarantined. They are reminded to monitor their health, and will receive daily calls for 14 days since their last exposure to the patient to ensure they are well.

They will be asked questions on their health and whether they are developing any symptoms of the virus.

Finally, transient contacts describe people who had interacted with the confirmed case for short periods of time, such as passing each other in the corridor or being on the same public transport or in the same public spaces.

The risk of infection from transient contact is assessed to be low.

 

[Blueray]

Coronavirus: No evidence Covid-19 can spread through air-con systems

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/no-evidence-covid-19-can-spread-through-air-con-systems

[therock]

[therock]

[therock]

[Blueray]

COVID-19 spread caused by socially irresponsible behaviour

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Cluster examples

Wizlearn Technologies
Of the 14 cases in this cluster, 9 were staff – 3 of them continued with daily activities despite feeling unwell. One staff also spread the virus to a family contact, who also carried on with daily activities while symptomatic. This resulted in an additional four cases who did not work at the company.

SAFRA Jurong
One case had attended the private dinner function at SAFRA Jurong on 15 Feb when unwell, who could be the reason for another 18 additional cases from the dinner. 10 of these 18 cases continued with daily activities despite feeling unwell, resulting in an additional 17 confirmed cases who were not present at the dinner.

https://www.gov.sg/article/covid-19-spread-caused-by-socially-irresponsible-behaviour

[Carbon82]

ADDITIONAL PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES TO PROTECT OUR SENIORS

1.            Additional precautionary measures will be put in place to reduce the risk of further transmission of COVID-19 among seniors.

2.            The Ministry of Health (MOH) has studied the pattern of transmission among recent confirmed cases. It has found that many of the cases were transmitted during social activities and gatherings among seniors. For example, many of the confirmed cases over the weekend were linked to the SAFRA Jurong cluster and other social activities. These are mainly seniors who took part in singing classes and other activities such as qigong and line-dancing at several community clubs (CCs) and residents’ committees (RCs). They are active agers who participate often in such group activities, joining multiple groups across different venues in Singapore.

3.            While we encourage seniors to be active, there is now evidence of COVID-19 transmission among the seniors participating in such social activities, chiefly because some individuals who were unwell had continued to participate in them.

4.            The Ministry of Health (MOH) had on 7 March announced precautionary measures for these groups of seniors. It had called for a 14-day suspension of all activities and classes in CCs and RCs which the confirmed cases had participated in, as well as all singing classes organised by the People’s Association (PA) at the affected CCs and RCs.

 

Suspension of senior-centric activities for 14 days

5.            Seniors are a particularly vulnerable group. We will therefore introduce additional targeted social distancing measures for our seniors. All senior-centric activities conducted by government agencies will be suspended for 14 days from 11 March to 24 March 2020. These include activities held at CCs, RCs, Senior Activity Centres, Active Ageing Hubs, CREST centres, Health Promotion Board and ActiveSG sport centres.1

6.            In the interim, organisers will implement additional precautionary measures before activities resume. These include reducing the group size of activities to prevent crowding, re-organising activities to minimise physical contact, increasing the frequency of sanitising equipment between activities, providing sufficient facilities for regular hand washing, and checking if participants are well.

7.            Care services for seniors – such as nursing homes, inpatient and day hospices, senior care centre services and home-based care services – will continue to run, but with additional precautionary measures.

8.            Seniors who feel unwell should see a doctor and stay at home. Those who are well can continue to go to work, and go about their daily routine such as marketing and individual exercise in the meantime. But they should continue to take precautionary measures to keep themselves safe, such as maintaining good personal hygiene, washing their hands frequently and avoiding touching their face and eyes.

9.            The Multi-Ministry Taskforce is assessing the situation locally as well as globally, and is studying a broader range of social distancing measures we might take to help further slow down the spread of the virus.

 

Social responsibility is key

10.          Social responsibility is a critical factor in slowing the transmission of the virus. Many of the locally transmitted cases were the result of the socially irresponsible actions of a few individuals who attended events and activities despite being unwell.

11.          About 35 of the 160 confirmed cases thus far had not minimised social contact although they had already developed fever or respiratory symptoms, or consulted a doctor early when unwell. More than a fifth (22%) of the confirmed cases continued to work or carried on with their daily routine despite being sick. For instance:

a)            The cluster at Wizlearn Technologies Pte Ltd had 14 confirmed cases. Of these, nine were staff, and three of them had continued with their daily activities despite feeling unwell. One staff also spread the virus to a family contact, who also had carried on with daily activities while symptomatic. This in turn resulted in an additional four cases who had not worked at the company.

b)            Of the cases linked to the private dinner function at SAFRA Jurong, one case who was already unwell had attended the function on 15 February, and subsequently tested positive. This could have resulted in 18 additional cases who were also at the dinner and subsequently tested positive. 10 of these 18 cases continued with daily activities despite feeling unwell, resulting in an additional 17 positive cases who had not been at the dinner.

12.          We also urge the public to refrain from doctor-hopping so that the same doctor can follow up with each case, and make the appropriate assessment if a case needs to be tested for COVID-19. Of the confirmed cases, 38 (24%) had visited more than one general practitioner (GP) clinic. Among these 38 patients, eight had visited three or more GP clinics.

13.          Our ability to carry out effective contact tracing requires the cooperation of individuals to provide comprehensive and truthful accounts about their activities when they are interviewed by MOH’s public health officers. Otherwise our ability to quickly get in contact with others who may have been infected and to ring-fence clusters will be delayed.

14.          Socially irresponsible behaviour poses a risk to all. The measures we have implemented will not work if individuals do not cooperate, and continue to engage in socially irresponsible behaviour. We urge all Singaporeans to play their part in the fight against the virus. Those who are unwell, even with mild flu-like symptoms, should see a doctor and stay at home to prevent spreading illness to others.

 

MINISTRY OF HEALTH
10 MARCH 2020

1 The list of activities which are suspended is in the Annex, and can be found on PA’s and MyActiveSG’s websites, as well as the Health Promotion Board’s HealthHub portal or Healthy 365 mobile app.

[Blueray]

Two of Singapore's earliest clusters no longer active and are officially closed

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/two-of-singapores-earliest-clusters-no-longer-active-and-are-officially-closed

some good news.

[therock]

[therock]

We remain Dorscon Orange