Okay, I know, you’re feeling confused right now.
Simi third wave? I thought the government told us to be prepared for a second wave?!
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Now, before you get too worked up, here’s a cute kitty to calm you down.
Ahh.
Anyways, yes, the second wave that Singapore’s current health minister warned us about is a second Covid-19 outbreak in Singapore.
Meaning, community cases going straight through the roof, resulting in something like:
322 Covid-19 cases reported in Singapore Today (9 Aug); 300 Cases In The Community
That and a second (targetted) Circuit Breaker which leaves all of us wishing that we can go out to eat at the newest A&W outlet in Canberra.
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The third wave of imported cases, as coined by Straits Times, refers to the spike in imported Covid-19 cases reported daily.
Trend of Imported Cases in Singapore
The first wave were travellers from Wuhan back when we thought a circuit breaker was a box in our homes.
The second wave was in Mar 2020 where cases came from countries like Europe and the US.
Then, imported cases fell to zero after Singapore closed off its borders and selected workplaces.
But now, we’re experiencing the third wave after Singapore gradually eased its border controls again after 19 Jun 2020.
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As of 29 Jul 2020, Singapore has reported 692 imported Covid-19 cases.
In the third wave, the imported cases were reportedly from 9 different countries; out of which, more than half the “third wave” of imported cases were from India.
Why Not Test Them The Moment They Arrive?
If you’ve been reading the daily reports, you’ll know that Singapore has a safety measure to keep imported cases away from the general populace.
All travellers arriving in Singapore have to serve a mandatory 14-day Stay-Home-Notice (SHN).
They’ll have to be tested for Covid-19 a few days before they are released from SHN and it is during this time that the imported cases were detected and isolated.
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So the question remains, why not test them immediately upon arrival?
The answer comes down to two words: viral load.
According to ST, some experts have earlier suggested that at the “early-onset” (earlier days of infection) of Covid-19, some people who carry the Covid-19 virus might not test positive because of the low amount of viral load in their bodies.
This could be why the government decided to let them stay at home (or at the hotel) for 14 days, so they can let the viral load build up in isolation.
A Professor, However, Begs To Differ
Associate Professor Alex Cook, vice-dean of research at the National University of Singapore’s Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, however, has a different opinion.
He felt that Singapore can implement a first-and-last test for travellers and swab travellers the moment they arrive.
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This, he says, will help save costs with regards to quarantine and filter out the cases faster, reducing the risk to Singapore’s general populace.
However, he added that quarantine is an effective measure to keep the people in Singapore safe from imported cases.
So, is it a “swab first, quarantine, then another swab” system?
Because if it is, it seems similar to the system at Changi Prison.
In Changi Prison, new inmates are tested for the virus and housed in a separate cell block for 14 days; before their release into the general inmate population, they will have to undergo the swab test again.
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Nonetheless, while Singapore is effectively combating the third wave of imported Covid-19 cases, the risk (or threat) of a second outbreak in Singapore is still very real.
So let’s not wait for the authorities to set up loudhailers and obey Covid-19 measures instead.
You can also do your part by downloading the TraceTogether app. If you’re still worried about privacy, then watch this video (and also subscribe to our YouTube channel, please?):
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