SINGAPORE: An estimated 60 per cent of Singapore residents have most likely caught COVID-19 before, but this does not really mean the country now has “herd immunity”, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung stated in Parliament upon Monday (Aug 1).
Upon record, there are about 1 . 7 mil reported cases, which is about 30 % of the population.
The ministry furthermore systematically monitors liquid blood samples from routine polyclinic cases and other healthy volunteers for signs of previous infection, Mister Ong said.
“From these samples, we estimate about 60 per cent associated with local residents are likely to have been infected with COVID-19. ”
By and large, however , scientists around the world do not think herd immunity is certainly achievable because the disease will continue to mutate, escape the security of vaccines and infect people, he or she noted.
What exactly is achievable is “population protection against severe illness” through vaccinations, Mr Ong mentioned.
This is what allows the healthcare program to weather a contamination wave, even with high case numbers, since the translation of infections into severe ailments is low, this individual said.
The particular minister was addressing MP Seah Kian Peng (PAP-Marine Parade) who asked for the particular percentage of the populace that has been infected plus whether Singapore has attained herd defenses with such an irritation level.
While Singapore continues to be in the middle of an infection influx driven by the Omicron variant BA. 5, over the last 10 days, contamination numbers have been dropping, Mr Ong mentioned. The week-on-week an infection ratio has dropped below 0. nine over the last week, plus “we should view the wave subsiding more this week”.
During the last Omicron wave at the beginning of this year, second . 4 per cent of infected persons needed hospitalisation. During the present wave, 1 . nine per cent have wound up in hospitals, Mr Ong said, including that the actual percentages are lower because of unreported cases.