Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) Updates

[sharonkhoo]

zac's mum\" post_id=\"2040735\" time=\"1633396565\" user_id=\"53606:[quote=\"zac's mum\" post_id=2040735 time=1633396565 user_id=53606]
I’m against it (not that my opinion will change things). My kid is going nuts stuck at home with the P5 exam revision workload (from school, from tutors, from me) and none of his friends are free to chat either.

But on the plus side, he gets to sleep in & wakes up without alarm clock at 7.15am or so & has a leisurely breakfast before starting work. Has grown taller with more sleep.[/quote]

I totally understand! Hope you get some good news soon. But in case it isn't good news, perhaps you can try to arrange a slot each day for your son to get together online with a friend or 2 for a chat? It will need all the parents to agree, I guess, but if it's a fixed and limited time slot, surely some will agree.

On your 2nd para - I think he would have grown like that with or without HBL. Unless he was lacking that much sleep before that it would make such a difference. If not, my kids would be even shorter than they are now! They were essentially doing HBL from the ages of 11 to 14, and 13 to 16, and were in international school before that (starting time 8.30am). And they are both not tall!

[zeit.033699]

starlight1968sg\" post_id=\"2040662\" time=\"1633341414\" user_id=\"14025:

My dadś 2nd dose was on 21 Apr. Today I received the SMS and could book the slot for booster dose on 5 Oct onwards. Hence this 6 mth apart is not a must. I have booked the slot for tmr. I really dont know if this is a correct decision for him.

Hi, you must have gotten your booster.

Anyway, you can read this from the 3rd voice, Ministry of TMS:

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1868617106659448&id=100005335308340

:siam:

[zeit.033699]

zeit.\" post_id=\"2039383\" time=\"1632541655\" user_id=\"194295:

Isn't the MOH quarantine hotline found on the HRW and HRA SMS? Is it found somewhere on the care pack?

MOH and many ministries' website have 'ASK JAMIE' which is the chatbot powered by GovTech. But it's not smart enough to utter dialects and vernacular lang characters.

Looks like ''Jamie'', the bot powered by GovtTech has gone bonkers. :siao:

https://www.tnp.sg/news/singapore/ask-jamie-chatbot-taken-down-moh-site-after-gaffes

There's a better checker that they came up with, but more Y/N FAQs could be created to funnel the correct answers to the asker.
https://i.imgur.com/bOECerJ.jpg\">

There should also be an MT version for such checkers. If you leave it to Zaobao illustrator to translate, it'll end up becoming more confusing!

https://i.imgur.com/bGW8iT0.jpg\">

https://www.facebook.com/zaobaosg/photos/6257142567690192

The go.gov.sg/quarantinereg (registration) form has 4 languages.

I think MOH website should have MT and foreign language versions too like HK's COVID-19 special microsite. HK's website has: Hindi, Nepali, Urdu, Thai, Viet, Bahasa Indonesian, Tagalog, Bengali, Sinhali, Chinese, etc.

It's a shame that such a diverse, multi-cultural, multi-lingual society & global economy that Singapore says we are, does not even have a dedicated Covid-19 website that can auto-translate to (at least) our ''PSLE MTs'', and some others that migrant workers/FDWs can comprehend.

https://www.covidvaccine.gov.hk/en/
https://www.chp.gov.hk/en/other/submenu/424/index.html

[zeit.033699]

So true.


https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/covid-19-when-theres-confusion-its-tough-to-pull-together-against-a-common-enemy

[pirate]

It is true that there are various reports that antibodies wane after 6 months of taking S. Now we are told the same happens with P, and that this is natural and to be expected. The underlying subtext seems to be in the case of P it is natural and to be expected, but for S it is because the vaccine is lousy.


We are also told that immunity does not only depend on level of antibodies, but on also T-cells, C-cells and a whole alphabet soup of immune system cells, and whether these cells can recognize the virus to trigger an immune response.

This makes sense why P and M are more vulnerable to variants, as it targets only the spike protein. So any mutation of the spike protein, as in Delta, will reduce its efficacy significantly. Whole virus vaccines however trains the body’s immune system to recognize another whole alphabet soup of virus proteins, not just the S or spike protein, but apparently not quite as wide a range as meeting the live virus (ie. infection).

Of course, being better able to identify the virus will still not be any good if the immune system is too weak or compromised to launch a robust response. Eg elderly, frail or immuno-compromised people. For them, antibody levels may be all they have to fight the virus with.

These are basic immune system facts that make MOH’s almost total reliance on P and M unwise.

Hence MOH should be more transparent with the breakdown for vaccine breakthroughs. We have enough data in Singapore to not have to wait for foreign data to make an educated decision as to whether to mix boosters or vaccinate our 5-11 year olds and with what vaccine. The virus does not wait. Every day delayed is lives lost too.

Incidentally the 100,000- (not plus) number is those who have taken both shots. Number of shots given is 200,000+. There is no evidence that these people are less likely to go out. Misplaced or otherwise, they have faith in this vaccine.

I am sure Gov also have the numbers who have left Singapore.

[pirate]

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/private-clinics-in-spore-seeing-demand-for-sinovac-and-sinopharm-as-covid-19-vaccine


MOH's expert committee is working too slowly. Some urgency please?

[MrsKiasu]

So far, how do we feel with the current endemic living? I m still about the same, go out when necessary…buy food & groceries only plus sending kid to school.


Almost everyday got people died, and number seems to be around there. What are we expecting actually…wait for all to be infected? 1 round of infection will be enough?

It was mentioned something like peak at 4 or 8 weeks from abt 2 wks ago? Personally hoping for free-er movements during year end hol.

[sharonkhoo]

MrsKiasu\" post_id=\"2040979\" time=\"1633472287\" user_id=\"43981:

So far, how do we feel with the current endemic living? I m still about the same, go out when necessary..buy food & groceries only plus sending kid to school.

Almost everyday got people died, and number seems to be around there. What are we expecting actually..wait for all to be infected? 1 round of infection will be enough?

It was mentioned something like peak at 4 or 8 weeks from abt 2 wks ago? Personally hoping for free-er movements during year end hol.

What we are experiencing now is NOT endemic living! We are still under pretty tight restrictions. The things you mention - grocery shopping and schools - are usually the last things to be restricted.

Yes, we are waiting for more people to be naturally infected or be protected more by receiving a booster shot. Even that will not mean no more infections, just that most of those who get infected will not get seriously ill, so it won't be considered an issue. Whether one wave of infections is enough really depends on how many people get it - with restrictions, chances are that there will have to be repeated waves. The reason for having restrictions now is to protect the hospitals which are not prepared to cope with large numbers, not to protect the population from infection forever. Sooner or later, everyone (except those who take special care of themselves) will have to be exposed, and probably catch it, whether or not they realise it, or it will not be \"endemic living\".

Frankly, the fastest way to get to \"endemic living\" would be to stop taking precautions now - but this would mean too much pressure on hospitals, and not enough of those who need protection have been educated to take those precautions for themselves. The thinking is still very much \"everyone will take precautions to protect the vulnerable\" rather than \"teach the vulnerable how to take precautions to protect themselves\". There needs to be that switch in mindset before we can truly go \"endemic\".

[MrsKiasu]

Does that mean that before we even go into endemic stage, we should be seeing the healthcare system expanding first.. then maybe can start taking off mask..maybe a faster process :sad:

[MrsKiasu]

The initial daily figure acceptable then at first like around 200 I think?


Now with this ‘outbreak’, did anyone read of the new acceptable daily figure, if there is any revision? My understanding is it will peak at x number after x weeks, after that, what will happen? It would be good if we know the plan coz we ourselves need to plan our living too.