Singapore — Ng Teng Fong General Hospital (NTFGH) said that the 35-year-old Filipino nurse who was confirmed positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday (Mar 10) did not treat patients who were ill with the coronavirus in the 14 days before she herself was diagnosed.
Moreover, NTFGH also said that the nurse, who works at the hospital’s emergency department, followed infection control measures while she was working, said Foo Hee Jug, NTFGH’s CEO, in a statement on Wednesday, March 11.
There are a number of coronavirus patients undergoing treatment at NTFGH.
According to MOH, she is identified as Case 167, “a 35-year-old female Filipino national who is a Singapore Work Pass holder, and is a family member of Case 178. She had been in the Philippines from 11 February to 17 February. She is currently warded in an isolation room at NTFGH.”
The nurse’s husband, a 37-year-old male Filipino national who is a Singapore Work Pass holder, accompanied her to the Philippines from February 11 to 17. But he had also returned to the Philippines from February 23 to March 2, during which time he visited a relative who had pneumonia, and who has since died.
He was also confirmed as positive for Covid-19 on March 11 and is now under treatment in isolation at NTFGH.
Mr Foo said that the nurse began to feel ill on March 8.
“She developed a cough on Mar 8 and sought prompt medical attention at our staff clinic the next morning.
She stayed at home until her swab result was confirmed on Mar 10, and was transported back to our hospital.”
The hospital CEO added that more measures are being taken to ensure the health of the nurse’s colleagues. “We have since taken immediate measures, including reaching out to our emergency department colleagues and will be monitoring the team closely in the days ahead.”
The emergency department’s common staff areas, including the toilets, pantry, rest spaces, and lifts, have been subject to disinfection, and contact tracing has already begun, Mr Foo added.
”We will continue with daily checks and audits on infection control practices and PPE compliance, and will remind all staff to adhere to measures to safeguard patients and fellow colleagues.”
Singapore reported twelve new cases of Covid-19 on Wednesday (March 11), eight of which are imported, meaning the patients were infected with the coronavirus when they were in other countries.
The country now has a total of 178 cases of the novel coronavirus, with 96 having fully recovered and discharged from the hospital. There have been no deaths in Singapore from Covid-19.
Around in the world, there are 123,000 confirmed cases, with over 4,600 confirmed deaths. Different countries are implementing stringent measures to control and contain the spread, as scientists search for effective treatment and vaccines. —/TISG