Covid-19 crisis The risk is still quite low in Singapore

I want to give my perspective about the risk of the novel coronavirus or nCOV infection in Singapore.

I am one of the few who said that the risk is quite small. There is no need to over-react to the risk.

I know that I may be wrong, as things may turn out to be worse quite quickly. But until that happens, I wish to say - do not worry excessively or over-react to this risk.

If you wish to wear a face mask, go ahead. If you wish to wash your hands 50 times a day, go ahead. If you wish to avoid crowded places, by all means. Do what you feel is comfortable.

For me, I will carry on life as usual, i.e. no face masks. And I will continue to take public transport and visit malls.

Maybe, I will wash my hands more frequently and avoid rubbing my hands over my face. And I will pay attention and avoid people who cough.

Let me say why I think the risk is still very low in Singapore. If the infection is widespread, we will get a few thousand people who are infected by now. But we do not have this number. It is still just a handful.

The government has placed a few hundred people on quarantine or on leave of absence. I am not sure if this is really necessary, but I guess it is better to be safe, rather than sorry. Maybe these measures have been effective in stopping the spread of the virus.

I wonder what happens when someone is infected. If the person is healthy, he will not die from the virus. He will probably recover. the recovery rate is 98% but it does take some time.

Perhaps the risk is that during the time until complete recovery, he may infect other people who may be less healthy. this is probably the real risk.

OK, let us take the necessary hygiene measures to stop being infected and spreading the infection to other people.

A few people have spoken about the possibility that the virus may mutate and become more aggressive. There is nothing that ordinary people can do about this risk. We have to leave it to the doctors and the researchers.

I have seen a few videos and messages that are being shared that paint a dire situation. They are mostly exaggeration. Yes, thing could get worse, but it might not happen. Anyway, there is nothing that we can do about it, except to take the necessary precautions. It does not help to cause widespread alarm.

I am still cautiously optimistic that the infection and deaths will reduce in a week or two. And, like SARS, the nCOV will be forgotten by summer or later in the year.

Tan Kin Lian

Vote - do you agree with my view that the risk is still quite low in Singapore.




 

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