It’s bad enough when a COVID-19 cluster continues to grow, but at least you know where the new infections came from.
Sometimes, a new COVID-19 case can pop out of nowhere, with no seeming links to previous cases.
Unlinked Changi Airport Cleaner, NSF Among Community Cases
And that seems to be what happened with an 88-year-old Singaporean man recently.
He was one of two community cases reported yesterday (6 May).
He is employed by Ramky Cleantech Services and works as a cleaner at Changi Airport Terminal 3.
The man developed a cough and runny nose on Tuesday (4 May) and sought medical treatment at a general practitioner clinic on the same day, where he underwent a COVID-19 test.
His test result came back positive on Wednesday and he was taken to Sengkang General Hospital.
The 88-year-old had been tested several times earlier as part of rostered routine testing – the last of which was on 16 Apr – and all had come back negative.
The man had already completed his vaccination regimen, receiving his first dose on 22 Jan and second on 15 Feb.
His serological test is still pending, so it’s too soon to say determine if the infection is a fresh one.
The second community case is a 22-year-old full time national serviceman (NSF) with the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). The Permanent Resident is linked to the Pasir Panjang Terminal cluster, which now has a total of 5 cases.
He is a household contact of a 59-year-old trailer truck driver who was reported to have COVID-19 on Wednesday.
The NSF was immediately isolated in Sembawang camp when authorities detected the infection of the trailer truck driver, before being placed under quarantine.
Even though he displayed no symptoms, he was tested for COVID-19 on Wednesday and the result came back positive the next day. He was immediately taken to Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital.
His serology test result is negative, indicating a fresh infection.
As a precautionary measure, SAF has carried out thorough disinfection of the areas the serviceman had been in and tested and quarantined all personnel who had been identified as close contacts.
The remaining 16 infections reported yesterday were all from abroad and were placed on stay-home notice on arrival in Singapore.
Community Cases Continue to Rise
The number of new community cases has continued to increase, shooting up from 28 in the week before to 48 in the past week.
Fortunately, the number of unlinked cases have remained stable at seven cases over the same period.
High Recovery Rate
Singapore maintains its high recovery rate of 99.3%, though, with 60,873 out of 61,286 having recovered from COVID-19. This includes another 29 cases that were discharged yesterday.
120 patients remain in hospital, including one in critical condition in the intensive care unit. Another 262 patients with mild symptoms and lower risk factors are recuperating in community facilities.
31 COVID-19 patients in Singapore have died so far, the latest being an 88-year-old woman linked to the Tan Tock Seng cluster.
Featured Image: Google Maps
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