If you were like me, and you thought that the 40 COVID-19 cases yesterday (26 Apr) sounded bad, hold on to your seats.
As of 12pm today (26 Apr), the Ministry of Health (MOH) has preliminarily confirmed 45 new cases of COVID-19 infection.
One is a community case, and one is a dorm case.
This brings the total number of cases in Singapore to 61,051.
Overall, the number of new cases in the community has increased from 8 cases in the week before to 10 cases in the past week. The number of unlinked cases in the community has decreased from 4 cases in the week before to 3 cases in the past week.
S’pore Study Finds That Medicine for Malaria & Sore Throat Cut Risk of COVID-19 Infection in Crowded Spaces By 50%
A team of National University Health System (NUHS) researchers have concluded that two commonly available drugs are moderately effective in preventing COVID-19 infections in high-density settings, TODAYonline reports.
The two drugs, oral hydroxychloroquine and a povidone-iodine spray, are shown to reduce infection risks by about 50%, a significant effect in high-transmission settings susceptible to the formation of large infection clusters.
The drugs are used to treat malaria and ameliorate sore throat symptoms respectively. They were picked because their effects primarily target the oropharyngeal space—the area of the throat behind the mouth—which is believed to the key entry point of the coronavirus.
The team believed that povidone-iodine, in particular, is able to create a more hostile oropharyngeal space to the coronavirus.
The study took place at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic last year in May, and involved 3,037 migrant workers from Tuas South Dormitory, when it was “still in the early stages of the COVID-19 outbreak”, according to Associate Professor Raymond Seet of the National University Hospital (NUH).
The two drugs were compared to the effects of vitamin C, zinc, and an anti-parasitic drug called ivermectin, but none of the alternatives produced effects statistically as significant.
The findings of the study can prove pertinent in future outbreaks in high-density settings, including recurrences of dormitory outbreaks here in Singapore.
Since both drugs are readily available and safe for use, they can be easily administered to achieve at least some degree of infection prevention.
314 Active Cases
There are currently 94 confirmed cases who are still in hospital. Of these, most are stable or improving, and 1 is in critical condition in the intensive care unit.
220 are isolated and cared for at community facilities. These are those who have mild symptoms, or are clinically well but still test positive for COVID-19.
30 have passed away from complications due to COVID-19 infection.
Feature Image: kandl stock / Shutterstock.com (Image is for illustration purposes only)
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