Ever since the coronavirus emerged, it’s been evolving.
Some of its random mutations have no effect on the virus’ behaviour at all, while others can increase its transmissibility.
Several variants of concern are now spreading across the globe, and it seems that one has been making the rounds here in Singapore.
4 of the 10 Community COVID-19 Cases Reported on 9 May Most Likely Have the Indian Variant
28 new COVID-19 infections were reported yesterday (9 May), of whom ten were from the community.
Further tests have revealed that four of these ten cases have tested “preliminarily positive” for the B1617 variant of the coronavirus—a variant that first emerged in India.
They comprise a Grab private hire driver, a property risk assessment personnel, a cleaner, and an auxiliary police officer at Changi Airport Terminal 3.
Here are the details.
The Grab Driver
The Grab driver is a 38-year-old Singaporean who has no known links to previously reported cases.
On 7 May, the man developed a fever and cough and sought medical treatment at a general practitioner clinic where he was tested for COVID-19. His result came back positive the next day and he was taken to Alexandra Hospital in an ambulance.
He has not gone to work since he started exhibiting symptoms.
His serological test result is negative, indicating a fresh infection.
The man lives with his girlfriend who arrived from Vietnam on a short-term visit pass on 12 April.
She served her stay-home notice at a dedicated facility until 26 April and tested negative for COVID-19 on 25 April.
The Property Risk Assessment Personnel
The property risk assessment personnel is a 40-year-old Singaporean woman who works at Lendlease. She, too, is not linked to any previous cases.
She developed a fever on 7 May and sought medical treatment on the same day at a general practitioner clinic, where she was tested for COVID-19.
Her test result came back positive the next day and she was conveyed to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (KTPH) in an ambulance.
Fortunately, she has not been to her workplace since 29 April, as she has been working from home.
Her serological test result is also negative.
The Changi Airport Cleaner
The Changi Airport cleaner is a 51-year-old work permit holder who is employed by Ramky Cleantech Services. She had been deployed at Terminal 3.
She has been linked to her colleague, an 88-year-old cleaner with the same employer who had been deployed to Changi Airport Terminal 3 as well.
The 51-year-old had last gone to work on 3 May and was tested on 5 May as part of rostered routine testing. Her pooled result came back “inconclusive”, so she was tested again on 7 May.
On that same day, she was identified as a colleague of a previous case and contacted by the Ministry of Health (MOH) so she could be placed on phone surveillance.
That night, she developed a cough and a headache. She sought medical treatment the next day at a polyclinic.
This time, her COVID-19 test result came back positive, and she was taken in an ambulance to Gleneagles Hospital.
She had last gone to work on 3 May.
Her serology test is negative, and all of her earlier tests from rostered routine testing—the last of which was on 21 April—were negative.
The Changi Airport Auxillary Officer
The auxiliary police officer who works at Changi Airport is a 57-year-old Singaporean who is employed by Certis Cisco. He, too, works at Terminal 3.
As part of his job, the man has to maintain crowd control and inspect travellers’ documents.
The man developed a cough on 7 May and sought medical treatment at a general practitioner clinic, where he was tested for COVID-19.
His test result came back positive for COVID-19 the next day and he was taken to Alexandra Hospital in an ambulance.
The man completed his vaccination regimen on 8 March, having received the first dose on 15 February.
His serology test is negative as well, and so were all his earlier tests from rostered routine testing, the last being on 2 May.
29 Local Cases Infected With Variants of Concern
At the moment, 29 cases have been confirmed to be carrying COVID-19 variants of concern that emerged in other countries.
Since they are more infectious, larger clusters are forming.
Other variants include the B11281 strain that was first detected in Brazil, the B1351 variant that emerged in South Africa, and two variants—B117 and B1525—first detected in the United Kingdom.
Feature Image: Sing Studio / Shutterstock.com
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