10 more virus patients in S'pore discharged; one new case

A 57-year-old Singaporean woman infected with both the coronavirus and dengue visited Ng Teng Fong General Hospital on Feb 13 and on Feb 15, and was admitted as a dengue patient in a general ward on the second visit. PHOTO: ST FILE

Ten more patients infected with the coronavirus have been discharged, the highest number since Singapore reported its first case on Jan 23.

There is one new confirmed case, bringing the total number infected to 86, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said yesterday. Of these, 47 - more than half - have fully recovered and been discharged from hospital.

Most of the 39 confirmed cases who are still hospitalised are stable or improving. Five are in intensive care, one more than the day before.

Asked about whether the new high of discharged cases could point to a positive trend, an MOH spokesman said Singapore's numbers need to be put into the context of global efforts to fight the virus.

Even if the country manages to contain the outbreak and others do not, there is always a chance that the coronavirus can be "reseeded" into Singapore, he said. "As long as it exists somewhere in the world, we have to be vigilant. And it would be a bit premature to say we have won the battle against this virus."

The new case announced yesterday is a 24-year-old Singaporean man linked to Case 82, a 57-year-old woman who is Singapore's only known patient with both dengue and the coronavirus disease, Covid-19.

He had no recent travel history to China, and is now at Ng Teng Fong General Hospital.

He first reported symptoms on Feb 14, and saw two separate general practitioners last Sunday and Tuesday before going to the hospital on Wednesday, where he was immediately isolated. He was confirmed to have Covid-19 on Thursday.

The student at the Singapore Institute of Technology lives in Bukit Batok East and has not gone back to school since he had symptoms, said MOH.

It also gave more details on Case 85, a 36-year-old Chinese national and work-pass holder who had no recent travel history to China and is currently at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases. Before he was admitted to hospital, he mostly stayed inside a rental apartment at Woodlands Avenue 6.

Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on February 22, 2020, with the headline 10 more virus patients in S'pore discharged; one new case. Subscribe