Singapore's COVID-19 death rate 'very low'; healthcare system stressed but not overwhelmed: Dr Puthucheary
SINGAPORE: Singapore has managed to keep the number of COVID-19 fatalities "very depression", with a death charge per unit of 0.2 per cent compared to three per cent or more in countries that experienced a surge in cases before vaccination, said Senior Minister of Land for Health Janil Puthucheary on Mon (November 1).
The COVID-nineteen death rate of 0.two per cent is "comparable to catching pneumonia", he said in a ministerial statement in Parliament on the country's ICU and hospital capacity.
"Just it does hateful that over time, the absolute number of deaths from COVID-nineteen will ascent despite the best possible medical care, and nosotros could accept 2,000 deaths per year. About of these volition be the elderly and already unwell," he added.
In comparison, almost 4,000 patients die every bit a event of flu, viral pneumonia and other respiratory diseases annually, Dr Puthucheary noted.
He said this is why the Regime keeps emphasising the importance of vaccination and booster jabs.
"We must make sure that anybody who is infected with COVID-19 will receive proper medical care by our healthcare workers and infirmary system, and be given the best chance to fight the illness," he said.
DEATHS "VERY LOW", HIGH VACCINATION COVERAGE
Singapore has had 407 COVID-xix fatalities equally of noon on Lord's day – 395 died in a hospital, eight at home and 4 at intendance facilities.
Dr Puthucheary noted that the number of deaths has increased in the past 2 months equally the overall case count rose.
But Singapore has managed to go on fatalities "very depression", he said, calculation that about 99 per cent of the land'south COVID-19 cases have had mild or no symptoms because of the high vaccination coverage.
Seniors who are unvaccinated and have underlying medical conditions are at "much greater take a chance" of severe illness and death, he said.
"Close to 95 per cent of those who died in the terminal six months were seniors aged 60 and above. 70-two per cent of all deceased cases had not been fully vaccinated," he added.
"Almost all of the remaining 26 per cent who were fully vaccinated suffered from underlying medical conditions such as loftier blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, and center, lung or kidney diseases. Underlying conditions add risks, even if the conditions are well controlled before the patient encounters COVID-19, particularly if the patient is elderly."
"Nosotros CANNOT JUST Open up"
Singapore's healthcare system is currently "stressed, but it has non been overwhelmed", said Dr Puthucheary. This is different the state of affairs terminal twelvemonth in many countries which experienced "backlog mortality" and patients had to be turned away, he said.
"Excess mortality is when a lot more people than you expect die in a year, he said. "We are trying hard to avoid that, by keeping restrictions tight last yr when our population was vulnerable to the illness, and then charily opening up after nosotros vaccinated the vast majority of our population."
Although Singapore is trying to live with COVID-19, it "cannot simply open up" and take a chance having cases shoot up, said Dr Puthucheary.
"We are trying to get to the indicate where the combination of high vaccination rates, booster jabs and even more boosting from mild infections means that COVID-19 will no longer spread every bit an epidemic in Singapore. And we are trying to get at that place without excess mortality," he added.
"In other words, though we will have fatalities as a result of COVID-xix, nosotros volition not see more overall deaths than we would in a normal non-COVID twelvemonth. Nearly every other country that has arrived at that destination has paid a loftier price in lives."
More than cases volition upshot in more ICU beds beingness used. Across a sure point, that will "force us to accept a lower standard of care" and upshot in more than deaths that could have been prevented, said Dr Puthucheary.
"If despite our caution, ICU cases ascension sharply, we will still exercise our very best to look later every patient. But at what level of care? I would strongly prefer if nosotros can avoid that dreadful scenario," he added.
"We need to continue to manage the overall number of cases in our population, even every bit we continue to increment our hospital capacity."
"In that location IS Hope"
Withal, Dr Puthucheary acknowledged that "there is promise", calling on everyone to exercise their part.
"MOH and the healthcare teams volition keep to train staff, increase beds and expand ICU capacity, he said.
"All of usa tin can go on to play our role. Vaccination remains disquisitional, every single extra person who gets vaccinated makes a deviation, to themselves and for all of u.s.a.. Getting your booster shot as shortly as you lot are eligible makes a difference," he added.
"Following the safe management measures makes a deviation. Regular testing makes a departure. Using the right health intendance resources appropriately makes a difference."
The current situation will "not terminal forever", added Dr Puthucheary.
"Somewhen plenty of united states will be vaccinated or will have been infected, that nosotros will run across the case numbers come downwards and the situation stabilise. Just in getting there, we should try to keep the number of deaths as depression equally possible."
He stressed that having one of the everyman fatality rates in the world is "a small phenomenon", which didn't happen by chance.
"It happened considering Singaporeans stood together, looked out for each other, did their duty, and put the interests of others ahead of their own," he said. "And the healthcare workers of Singapore have washed all this and much much more, caring for usa all."
MANDATORY VACCINATION "SHOULD BE CAREFULLY CONSIDERED"
In response to Dr Puthucheary's ministerial statement, several MPs raised questions about Singapore's COVID-19 efforts thus far.
MP Lim Wee Kiak (PAP-Sembawang) asked if there were plans to make vaccination compulsory for the population.
"Making COVID-19 vaccinations compulsory is a significant (move); it should be carefully considered," said Dr Puthucheary.
At that place are a few factors that would need to exist considered, such every bit the vaccine coverage, international practice and the availability and performance of fully registered COVID-19 vaccines.
"In terms of making a mandate compulsory, it is besides quite difficult in terms of the execution. You tin can imagine that for something like childhood vaccines, you lot may say that y'all can't have access to playgroups or certain school environments and then along. In that location is a specific thing that y'all demand to do or that you desire to practise, and for that yous're getting the vaccine," said Dr Puthucheary.
"Just really, here nosotros're talking about all the normal activities of life. And so policing it, executing information technology, implementing it is not without challenges. And the question is how much benefit will there be? And so I remember it's something to consider, only there are a whole lot of complications associated with that."
LOOSEN MEASURES, Increment DINE-IN Capacity
MP Yip Hon Weng (PAP-Yio Chu Kang) asked whether the Health Ministry would consider "loosening safe management measures for the balance of the land", if seniors who are unvaccinated and more susceptible to COVID-nineteen are identified and isolated.
"In a way, that is what we are trying to exercise with our (vaccination) differentiated measures. Expose some people to a lower level of risk, while assuasive other parts of our population to exercise the things that make life a chip more endurable. But there'south only and so far that we can go," said Dr Puthucheary.
Even someone who is senior, unwell and unvaccinated "tin't be locked up and isolated completely". They need fresh air, food and contact with other people, he added.
"It's part of our human response. Our grandparents desire to meet their grandkids. We want to go and await after our parents. And each of those interactions poses a very modest but measurable run a risk to them also."
Every bit a effect, the Government'due south COVID-xix efforts, such every bit the vaccination-differentiated measures, "must treat the population as i".
Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh noted that at that place has been "significant public feedback" that dining-in capacity should be increased to five per group, instead of the electric current two per grouping ruling.
He added that since the Government is opening up more vaccinated travel lanes (VTLs), "at that place is a view that tin can't quite connect" why dining-in capacity cannot be increased.
"We wish to get there ... We were even at eight at one point. It is important to the F&B manufacture, information technology is of import to Singaporeans. It's important for families to assemble. But I think the time is non yet," replied Health Minister Ong Ye Kung.
"Because when you (group) in fives, equally explained by SMS (Senior Minister of Land) Janil, you practice increase risk of manual.
"If it'south transmission within vaccinated individuals, it may not be that serious. Only we too live with older people, with seniors who may be unvaccinated, and we can inadvertently bring the virus to them."
Mr Ong best-selling the comparison between opening VTLs but restricting dine-in capacity.
"The departure is this: That in the initial stage, Singapore has very low infections, and around us and around the world, have very high infection rates. So when you open up upwards borders at that time, you're opening up the floodgates," he said.
"Today, the situation is entirely dissimilar. Our infection rates and the outside infection rates are similar. And in fact, they may be lower than united states of america because they went through huge waves. And we are nonetheless going through ours. Furthermore, nosotros limit travel or SHN-free travel to but vaccinated individuals. And at the edge, you're subjected to tests."
However, Mr Ong added that theoretically, having a bigger consequence, similar a wedding ceremony, where anybody is subjected to tests, is a "similar concept" to dining in fives.
"So I think this also presents possibilities ... for the MTF to think most, whether through tests, through vaccination, we can allow gatherings that are a flake more complimentary."
0 Response to "Singapore's COVID-19 death rate 'very low'; healthcare system stressed but not overwhelmed: Dr Puthucheary"
Post a Comment