NOT A PANDEMIC STRAIN
Despite early infections here, experts say Singapore is not experiencing a pandemic strain, and the country’s healthcare system is well-prepared to manage the situation.
Associate Professor Lim Poh Lian, group director of communicable diseases programmes at the CDA, said there is no indication locally or regionally to suggest that infections are more severe than usual, adding that the agency will continue to monitor the situation closely.
"We do have a few surveillance measures that are built into the woodwork of the primary healthcare system to make sure this thing doesn't spread to greater proportions,” said Dr Loh Jiashen, an infectious diseases specialist at Farrer Park Hospital.
“And as a new wave of influenza sweeps through the population, more and more people will get immune and the outbreak will eventually die off.”
While hospitals have seen a higher patient load, Dr Loh noted that mortality rates have not increased.
He added that the current surge is expected to subside by the end of the year, with the influenza window likely to close earlier than usual, before March.
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