COVID-19 has peaked in Singapore but doctors watching out for possible surges
Singapore, Jan 6: Doctors in Singapore believe the latest COVID-19 wave has peaked in the country, even as some clinics still face higher than usual patient loads, and doctors are watching out for possible surges in the coming months.
The doctors are seeing cases stabilise, down by around 20 per cent from December, according to a Channel News Asia report on Friday.
However, clinics are already planning for more man power and medication supplies in anticipation of another surge in the months ahead.
Healthway Medical, for instance, now sees an average of 50 to 60 patients come in daily with respiratory infections across its 57 clinics, the report said. COVID-19 and influenza cases make up the bulk of them.
This is around 10 per cent higher than regular patient loads but a slight drop from the peak around Christmas.
"The peak of all the upper respiratory tract infection cases has plateaued. Majority of people have already returned from travelling," CNA quoted head of primary care at Healthway Medical Group Dr John Cheng as saying.
"Most of our clinics actually had enough buffer for all the acute and upper respiratory tract infections to cater for a sudden surge of patient numbers," he said.
"For the end of the year, there will definitely be a surge. And then, most of the time, during festive seasons, during holidays - with more and more people interacting, more travellers (travelling) in and out - we will be expecting some surges during those periods," he said.
OneCare Medical is also seeing cases stabilise across its 38 clinics. It said cases are less likely to go up significantly again in the near term.
"We feel that the ARI (Acute Respiratory Infection) has already peaked, so we should see the numbers stabilise and probably slowly come down over the next few weeks, back to the usual baseline numbers," CNA quoted CEO of OneCare Medical Dr Jimmy Chew as saying.
"Of course, if the weather continues to be quite cold, and there continues to be a lot of circulating strains of ARI pathogens, then perhaps we might still see the numbers being sustained," he said.
"With Chinese New Year coming up (February 10), there will still be ongoing gatherings. And of course there are still some travellers travelling, especially those who want to take advantage of the off-peak season," said Chew.
"There might still probably be a bit of infectious diseases still ongoing. But of course, hopefully, we have already seen the peak of ARI cases, so that we will observe a downward trend in the coming weeks," he said.
"I think we need to keep a close surveillance of the situation. So, medication wise, we tend to stock up more prior to the expectation of this peak," said Dr Daniel Soong, medical director at Unihealth Clinic, was quoted as saying by CNA.
"If we notice that there is an increase in cases and caseloads, we might deploy more manpower in our clinic to ease off the waiting time for the patients," Soong said.
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KSCA expresses disappointment over missing IPL playoffs, says it was ready to host matches in B’luru
Bengaluru: The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) has issued a clarification stating that it was fully prepared to host the IPL playoffs and final matches in Bengaluru but the fixtures were allotted to other venues.
In a media note, KSCA said it was disappointed with the decision. The association stated that its president, former India cricketer Venkatesh Prasad, had been in touch with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and had formally conveyed the association’s readiness and interest in hosting the matches at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
KSCA said the IPL matches held in Bengaluru this season were appreciated for smooth conduct, crowd management and overall experience for spectators. It said this reflected its ability to handle high-profile matches.
The association also stated that it had sent a detailed communication to the BCCI explaining its preparedness and the operational arrangements followed during the current IPL season. According to KSCA, these systems have been in place since the start of the Indian Premier League in 2008 and were followed consistently, including during previous playoff matches hosted in Bengaluru.
The clarification added that the communication sent to the BCCI was only meant to provide factual and operational details and to bring clarity on logistical and stakeholder-related requirements involved in hosting such matches.
KSCA said that although it had shown willingness and preparedness, the BCCI has decided to allocate the playoff matches to other venues. It added that the reasons for this decision have not been formally shared with the association, but it respects the authority of the board in taking such decisions.
The association further said it remains ready to host matches of national and international importance and will continue to cooperate with the BCCI, franchises, government authorities and other stakeholders for conducting cricket events.
The statement was issued by KSCA official spokesperson Vinay Mruthyunjaya, who also thanked the media and cricket fans for their continued support.
