According to a serology study by the Ministry of Health, about 7 in 10 people in Singapore have been infected with Covid-19.
Minister of Health Ong Ye Kung, spoke at the Multi Ministry Taskforce press conference on 24 August, saying that this means that the next big wave (which could be possibly caused by a new variant of concern) will likely comprise of many reinfections.
Singapore is currently monitoring the infection numbers closely, to derive an indication of when the next wave could arrive.
Ong added that so far, our data shows that after infection, the probability of being infected again after 8 months is still low.
He pointed to the US, UK and Europe; who are preparing for a wave of infections during the winter at the end of the year; when speaking about Singapore’s next uptick in infections.
He said that Singapore’s BA.5 wave has just subsided, which will give us good protection for a possible year-end wave.
However, Ong explained, Singapore should still prepare for the wave as it could be a new VOC, with a “significant immunity escape”.
He also added that our preparations lie on three fronts, namely Safe Management Measures, healthcare capacity and vaccinations.
Ong also said that as part of Singapore’s preparations, Covid-19 Treatment Facilities have eased the load on hospitals, with lower-risk patients being treated at the CTF, while hospital resources are saved for those who are seriously ill.
He also touched on a new category of facilities, called the Transitional Care Facilities, which he describes as being a “dual-use facility”, that would be used in the event of a surge in cases as a CTF.