Twists and Turns

We are still grappling with this severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARSCoV-2) also known as Covid-19 started in December 2019. Since then the world has seen various mutations with Delta variant (first detected in India) as the dominant one in recent months. Several countries are now trying to contain this highly transmissible virus than the original coronavirus.

Firstly, I remember Singapore government telling people NOT to wear face masks unless one is sick. This was before the Circuit Breaker in April 2020. Now it is an undisputed fact that wearing face masks is crucial in preventing people from contracting Covid-19.

Secondly, back in the beginning of this outbreak, some scientists were saying that Covid-19 is air-borne, ie transmitted through the air we breathe. This was disputed at the start by World Health Organization (WHO). Now WHO acknowledges with the following update:

‘The virus can spread from an infected person’s mouth or nose in small liquid particles when they cough, sneeze, speak, sing or breathe. These particles range from larger respiratory droplets to smaller aerosols.

In addition to spreading at ‘short-range’, the virus can spread ‘in poorly ventilated and/or crowded indoor settings, where people tend to spend longer periods of time.”

As a result, dining in restaurants and food outlets become a source of transmission where people take out face masks to eat.

Thirdly, we were encouraged to get vaccinated for one reason that a vaccinated person is less likely to be infected with the virus. But with the Delta variant of Covid-19, we had seen cases of infections among vaccinated persons. Vaccination is not a passport to remain virus-free. But the most important reason for vaccination is really to reduce the health impact to the recovery process of a vaccinated patient from Covid-19. Vaccination is still very important for this reason. We still need to keep ourselves safe from Covid-19 through various social distancing measures.

When comes to containing the spread of Covid-19 coronavirus, the world seems to be behind the curve. Of course with hindsight and after more data are available, it is easy to criticise the past. Nevertheless, I wish that health experts and in particular WHO would err on the side of caution. It is best to be extra cautious than trying to be lenient with medical (and most times unpopular) advisories. This way the world will see less deaths and less infections.