The recent decline in the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients and those requiring intensive care units (ICUs) signals a significant reduction in the current wave, despite persistently high infection rates.
Professor Dale Fisher, a senior infectious diseases consultant at the National University Hospital, expressed confidence in the diminishing wave, stating, “I think we can be confident that this COVID-19 wave has run its course as the numbers again approach baseline.”
The week of December 24 to December 30 saw a substantial decrease in hospitalizations, with 496 patients compared to the previous week’s 864. Similarly, the number of ICU admissions dropped from 23 to 13 during the same period.
The peak of the COVID-19 wave occurred in the week of December 10 to December 16, with an estimated 58,300 infections. During that week, 965 individuals were admitted to hospitals, including 32 requiring ICU care.
While infectious diseases specialist Dr. Asok Kurup warned of potential infections from individuals returning from year-end holidays, Professor Alex Cook, vice-dean of research at the National University of Singapore’s Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, disagreed. He highlighted that the recent wave suggests sufficient immunity in the population, making it challenging for the current strain to sustain itself.
The severity of the infection wave is better indicated by the number of hospitalizations and ICU cases, as these reflect individuals seeking medical care. Professor Fisher noted that future waves can be expected as immunity wanes and the virus evolves with minor mutations.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) began daily updates on COVID-19 infections from December 19, providing a seven-day moving average. However, the accuracy of the figures was affected by public holidays, resulting in four days’ worth of data instead of the usual five.
The current daily infection rate stands at 2,600, down from the peak of 7,870 on December 12. Professor Cook emphasized that despite challenges in interpreting case data due to public holidays, the decline in hospitalizations and ICU cases indicates that the wave has crested.
He expressed reassurance that the country successfully navigated the wave through social responsibility and existing levels of immunity. Although some children 11 years and younger were admitted to hospitals during the wave, none required intensive care.
Professor Fisher highlighted the continued threat of severe illness to vulnerable populations, especially the unvaccinated elderly. He noted that many individuals requiring admission were unvaccinated, emphasizing the importance of vaccination.
According to MOH, four in five people in Singapore have at least the minimum protection of three mRNA or four traditional vaccinations. The ministry previously indicated that even those with minimum protection, whose last COVID-19 jab was more than a year ago, face nearly twice the risk of needing hospital care compared to those who received a booster within the past 12 months.
In November, COVID-19 claimed the lives of 21 individuals in Singapore, bringing the total number of deaths in the first 11 months of 2023 to 247, including one child below 12 years old.
COVID-19: coronavirus disease of 2019; ICU: intensive care unit; MOH: Ministry of Health
Link to the original news article:
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/covid-19-wave-ending-with-sharp-fall-in-patients-admitted-to-hospitals-and-icus
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