It was bound to happen. And Iris Koh, arguably Singapore’s loudest and most animated evangelist against Covid-19 vaccination, sounds as if she couldn’t be happier that it has.
More than 462 million people all over the globe have tested positive for Covid-19 since the pandemic began a little over two years ago, resulting in more than six million deaths. Researchers think that the official death toll has been largely under-reported, and actual deaths from Covid may total well over 18 million.
Koh, currently facing charges of criminal cosnpiracy and obstructing the police linked to her activities, said in a March 17 post on her husband’s Facebook account that she is “very happy to announce that after many days of living with a Covid Positive spouse, I’m (sic) finally tested positive today!”
She goes on to describe her symptoms. She says she had fever for only one day, and a sore throat for a few days. Unlike many Covid-19 patients, she says she has lost neither her ability to taste nor her sense of smell.
So, based solely on her own experience, she says: “So it’s not true that those vaccinated have lighter symptoms. I dare say that those unvaccinated have light symptoms too.”
Koh then declared herself to be “a proud member of the unvaccinated community,” adding that this community “will always be the control group to check and balance the safety and efficiency of the current vaccines”.
She also said that she doesn’t see why people should risk potentially “more than 1,000 side effects for a relatively mild case of Covid”.
Koh is indeed fortunate that her case is a mild one, although this is no guarantee that there will be no residual effects from the disease.
A study by researchers at the University of Michigan published late last year found that more than 40 per cent of people who have recovered from Covid-19 experience long-term effects. This could mean that worldwide, more than 100 million people are likely to suffer lingering health issues or still report problems after recovering from the illness. ‘
Koh adds a comment to her post, saying triumphantly: “And I believe that because I got Covid naturally, I may have immunity for life.”
Her assertion appears to have riled several netizens who have challenged what she says and cautioned her against “yayapaya thinking”.
Another commenter asked her, “Do you know how many people from the vulnerable group who could not take vaccine and died from covid? Would you dare to stand in front of their family and boast about not being vaccinated?” 
Koh is the leader of a group called Healing the Divide, which claims to be made up of “intelligent vaxxers”. She denies that she is anti-vaccination but that does not seem to have convinced many people, and certainly not the Ministry of Health.
Since November last year, the ministry has issued public warnings about the group. MOH said the group “adopts an anti-vaccination stance and claims to warn people about the dangers of vaccination”, and has called them out for falsehoods regarding Covid-19.
/TISG