XBB Wave In Singapore May Peak In Mid-November, Stricter Mask Mandate Possible If Necessary
The recent surge of Covid-19 cases, driven by the Omicron XBB subvariant, is expected to peak in mid-November.
Despite the increase in cases, the Ministry of Health (MOH) is confident that Singapore will be able to ramp up its healthcare infrastructure to cope with the upcoming wave.
As we ride out this wave, the health ministry urges seniors and immuno-compromised individuals to continue wearing masks in crowded indoor settings to reduce their chance of contracting respiratory infections.
XBB Covid-19 wave could peak around mid-Nov
In a statement on Saturday (15 Oct), MOH shared that the XBB strain is now the predominant subvariant in the community, accounting for 54% of local cases between 3 and 9 Oct.
This proportion is more than double that of the week before, which stood at just 22%.
What’s perhaps most worrying is that the XBB subvariant may be causing an increase in reinfection numbers. Repeat infections are reportedly making up 17.5% of cases as of 14 Oct.
MOH stresses that with immunity from natural infection waning over time, the public should keep up with vaccinations to safeguard themselves from severe infections.
According to The Straits Times (ST), Health Minister Ong Ye Kung described the recent surge as a “short and sharp wave” which he attributed “to no small extent” to reinfection cases.
Inferring from current data, MOH estimates that the XBB wave will peak sometime in mid-November.
Proportion of hospitalised cases the same despite rise in infections
While Coivd-19 cases have been increasing steadily, MOH shared that the proportion of cases in hospitals has remained relatively stagnant. The actual number of severe cases has also remained low.
To put things into perspective, MOH shared a breakdown of such cases from 7 to 15 Oct, during which the seven-day moving average of local cases rose from 4,716 to 7,716:
- Hospitalised cases: 365 to 562
- Cases requiring oxygen treatment: 37 to 44
- Cases in ICU: 9 to 13
MOH also assured residents that our hospitals have the capability to cope with the upcoming wave of cases.
Over the past fortnight, public hospitals have reportedly activated various measures to operate 200 more beds for Covid-19 patients.
In the next two weeks, they will operate 600 more beds for such patients. Meanwhile, the authorities will ramp up the capacity at Covid-19 Treatment Facilities to 800 beds by early November.
As with previous waves, the health ministry encourages the public to only visit the Emergency Department for emergency conditions.
They also urge employers not to require employees to produce MCs if they test positive on self-test kits or have acute respiratory infection symptoms.
This will prevent patients with mild symptoms from making unnecessary visits to GP clinics and adding stress to their workload.
Seniors & vulnerable folks advised to wear masks for protection
As we anticipate the next possible wave, MOH stresses the importance of protecting the most vulnerable members of our community.
Therefore, they urge seniors and immuno-compromised individuals to wear masks in crowded indoor settings to avoid catching Covid-19 or any other respiratory infections.
The ministry also encourages members of the public to wear masks in crowded places, or when they’re visiting or interacting with vulnerable folks.
Speaking at a press conference on Saturday (15 Oct), Mr Ong Ye Kung said that stricter mask mandates and other SMMs cannot be ruled out, wrote ST.
MOH’s statement can be found here.
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