Conjunctivitis infections in Singapore up 75% from 2022
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Commonly referred to as pink eye, conjunctivitis refers to an inflammation of the conjunctiva.
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SINGAPORE - The number of conjunctivitis reports in Singapore has risen significantly in 2023, with a 75 per cent increase in the cases recorded daily between January and July, compared with the same period in 2022.
According to the Ministry of Health’s weekly infectious disease bulletin for the week ended July 8, polyclinics logged an average of 63 cases of acute conjunctivitis daily, up from 36 a day in the same period in 2022.
The Straits Times reported in March that daily cases had gone up
Commonly referred to as pink eye, conjunctivitis is an inflammation of the conjunctiva, a clear membrane that protects the sclera, which is the white, outer layer of the eye.
The most common forms of conjunctivitis infections include viral or bacterial infections, and allergic conjunctivitis.
Patients often experience mild to severe itchiness in the eye, sensitivity to light, swollen sclera, watery eyes, eye discharge, blurred vision and, in some cases, pain in the infected eye. Some sufferers may even notice a jelly-like texture on the surface of their eye.
Dr Jayant V. Iyer and Dr Jason Lee from The Straits Eye Centre said they have observed a “notable increase” in the number of patients with infective conjunctivitis symptoms.
“(This could) be attributed to heightened interpersonal interactions among individuals this year, in contrast to the reduced interactions experienced during the preceding pandemic years,” they said.
They added that it is essential for individuals already infected with a viral upper respiratory tract infection or infective conjunctivitis to obtain a medical certificate and practise adequate social distancing at home until recovery.
“(Infective conjunctivitis) is highly contagious and spreads through hand-to-eye contact following contact with infected individuals or objects. It can also be transmitted through exposure to coughing or sneezing from individuals with viral upper respiratory tract infections,” they said.
The doctors added that infective conjunctivitis can be “debilitating”, with the recovery period ranging from three days to two weeks.
Dr Ding Si Yan, a family physician at National Healthcare Group Polyclinics, said the symptoms of conjunctivitis may greatly affect the patient’s ability to concentrate at work or in school.
But there are ways to curb the spread of conjunctivitis, he said.
He recommends personal hygiene practices such as washing hands with soap and water before and after touching the eyes, and cautions people against rubbing their eyes unnecessarily, as that could cause conjunctivitis to spread to the other healthy eye, or to other individuals.
Dr Ding said contact lens wearers who think they may have conjunctivitis should avoid using their contact lenses until their symptoms have been completely resolved.
He explained that the “contact lenses could be a source of contamination that could reinfect a recovered eye”.
He also stressed the importance of seeing a doctor if an irritation or redness develops in the eyes.
“There are different causes of conjunctivitis which may require different kinds of treatment. Sometimes the symptoms may also be due to eye conditions other than conjunctivitis, which would need evaluation and treatment as well,” he said.
