Singapore — On Thursday (Oct 14), Madam Ho Ching wrote a Facebook post with guidelines for people who are recovering from Covid at home.
“Take comfort that what doesn’t kill us will make us stronger [against another covid infection],” she added.
In keeping with the shift from trying to eradicate infections altogether to learning to live with it, she added in a comment that it would be impossible to reach Covid Zero for some years.
Singapore has done its best to protect everyone, but those who choose to remain unvaccinated will “at some point bear the consequences of their decisions.”
The wife of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong wrote this as part of a response to one commenter named Patrick Tay who asked about the lack of a channel for reporting for people who fall under the Ministry of Health’s Protocol 2, who test positive for the virus but are otherwise well.
According to the MOH, those under Protocol 2 “should self-isolate at home for the next 72 hours. After 72 hours, they can re-test and if negative, they may exit isolation and resume normal activities. If they become unwell at any time, they should see a doctor.”
Mdm Ho explained that now that Covid is being considered as more and more endemic, or here to stay for the long haul, fewer tests will be carried out.
She added that in developed countries in Europe, “it is the transition to living with covid like the way we live with flu, coughs and colds,” which has been made possible since the majority have already been vaccinated.
In answer to the commenter’s question, she wrote that reporting and tracking numbers were necessary in the past due to the need for “the population to take precautions against a dangerous infection.”
“We track numbers bcos we want to drive towards Covid Zero.
Globally, we know there will be no Covid Zero possibility for at least several years.”
And in Singapore “we have already done our best to protect as many people as possible,” she added.
“Others who wilfully decide not to vaccinate will have at some point bear the consequences of their decisions.
If they are lucky, they will get away with a mild infection.
If they are unlucky, they end up with death or long covid.”
Mdm Ho wrote that those at highest risk for severe Covid or even death are the elderly and those whose health conditions compromise their immune systems.
“Net net, from a public health, we don’t need to track the walking well recovering at home, just as we don’t track flu.”
What would be needed instead is to continue self-testing and to stay home when positive for the infection.
“In Sg, we are just beginning to meet the virus, after we have armed the vast majority with protective vaccination,” she added. /TISG
Read also: Ho Ching: SG going through ‘exit wave’