Singapore Develops Sing-CoV Study To Accelerate Vaccine Research

JAKARTA - Singapore is conducting research known as Sing-CoV at the National Center for Infectious Diseases (NCID).

The research was conducted to help researchers understand why COVID-19 infections still occur even though they have been vaccinated.

Not only that, this research was also carried out with the aim of developing a framework and expertise to conduct studies on human challenges in the future.

"We need to continue to strengthen Singapore's readiness and response to infectious diseases, including disease X, a future disease that could result in a pandemic," said Professor Vernon Lee, chief executive of the Infectious Disease Agency, quoted from The Straits Times, on Monday, March 17, 2025.

To conduct this research, there are five volunteers who are young people. They are willing to be exposed to the COVID-19 virus and placed in a medically controlled location.

This step is taken so that researchers can analyze and gain more precise insight into infection agents in a short time. It can also help accelerate the development of vaccines and therapies.

Sing-CoV research is also aimed at becoming a new instrument for Singapore to face the challenges of the next infectious disease. It also develops steps and responds more quickly to infectious diseases in the future.

The study of this challenge is very useful for choosing vaccines or treatments that will be tested in larger trials, as it can be done quickly and cost less participants, said Associate Professor Barnaby Young, lead researcher for Sing-CoV.

In the implementation of the research, volunteers will receive replacement fees worth 300 Singapore dollars or around Rp. 3.6 million per day. The research team will collect nasal swabs, blood and feces samples, even air exhaled with the help of machines that participants can breathe.

Professor Young said the amount of the virus given to volunteers was the same as that given in the UK's Covid-19 study. Researchers are also very careful to ensure that participants exposed to the virus are in a safe and controlled environment.

Prof. Young said the number of viruses given in this study was the same as that given in the UK's Covid-19 study, and researchers were very careful to ensure that participants were exposed to the virus in a safe and controlled environment.

During the stay of up to 14 days, participants were closely monitored by special health care teams to ensure they remained healthy. The risk of developing severe infection is very small, but if that happens, medical care will be given soon.

"About 130 people have taken part in studies of human challenges Sars-CoV-2 around the world now, and none have experienced severe side effects. No one needs antiviral drugs or severe infections," said Goh Zhi Hao, one of the volunteers.