Before Covid-19 became the centrepiece of our lives, if you had a little cold and went to work anyway, you’d be applauded for it.
Wow, look at Ah Hock, he has the flu but he’s so hardworking he still came to work. He’s spoiling the market!
Ah Hock’s boss would also be so impressed he might just give him a hug.
But nowadays, if you have a certain new virus and don’t tell anyone about it, it’s a bit like walking around with a bomb.
And that’s exactly what one 49-year-old man did.
A COVID-19 Case Self-Medicated & Didn’t Report His Symptoms Initially
A whopping 35 imported Covid-19 cases were reported on Sunday (3 Jan), the highest number of cases from abroad since 28 Mar.
32 of these cases were asymptomatic while three were symptomatic.
One of those who exhibited symptoms is a 49-year-old work permit holder.
He is a ship crew member who had boarded a vessel on 4 Mar last year in Indonesia.
He developed a fever on 23 Dec but had self-medicated and did not report his symptoms.
On 31 Dec, he was placed on quarantine as he had been identified as a close contact of a previously reported case who is a crew member of the same vessel.
The man was sick for the next few days, but only declared his symptoms on 2 Jan, according to the Ministry of Health (MOH).
On that day, he shared his symptoms with a doctor via video-consultation and was subsequently conveyed to the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID).
There, he tested positive for the coronavirus.
Fortunately, he hadn’t disembarked from the vessel before his diagnosis.
All the remaining crew members of the vessel have been placed on quarantine, MOH said.
Three Babies Among Those Infected
Three babies, all dependant’s pass holders, were among the 35 cases from abroad.
One was a 1-year-old from the UAE, while the other two were also 1-year-olds, but from India.
There were 12 other dependant’s pass holders who arrived from both these countries.
Another imported infection from India is a 78-year-old man who is a long-term visit pass holder.
There were also four work pass holders who arrived from Russia, India, Japan and Maldives.
Twelve of the 35 cases are work permit holders who arrived from Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, and Malaysia, including seven who are foreign domestic workers.
Two Short-term Visitors Infected
Only two of the 35 infections are short-term visitors.
One arrived from India to visit his Singaporean child while the other is a cargo pilot who arrived from the US via Australia.
Upon arrival, the cargo pilot was isolated and conveyed directly to NCID.
There, he was tested and confirmed to have the coronavirus. His serological test result also came back positive.
High Recovery Rate
With these 35 infections, Singapore now has a total of 58,697 cases.
Of these, 58,487 cases have fully recovered from their infections.
This means Singapore has a recovery rate of 99.6%.Â
At the moment, there are only 64 cases in hospitals, most of whom are stable and improving.
One is in critical condition in the intensive care unit.
117 people who have mild symptoms or are clinically well are isolated and cared for at community facilities.
Another 11 Covid-19 cases have since been discharged, MOH said.
Featured Image: kandl stock / Shutterstock.com
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