Prepare A Strategy For Living With COVID-19, Singapore's Minister Of Health, Economy Opens, Deaths Possibly Rise

Illustration of the implementation of the COVID-19 health protocol in Singapore. (Wikimedia Commons/Btcprox)

JAKARTA - Singapore is preparing to coexist with COVID-19, like any other common disease, as it reduces mortality and becomes one of the countries with the highest vaccination rates in the world.

Local medical experts say the public may see hundreds of deaths every year from the endemic COVID-19, similar to the flu. That pragmatic approach could serve as an example for other countries looking to come out of lockdown, as they scale up their own inoculation programmes.

"The only way that there are no deaths from the disease anywhere in the world is to eliminate the disease altogether and that's only done for smallpox," said Paul Tambyah, president of the Asia Pacific Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infection. August 18th.

Singapore has reported just 44 COVID-19 deaths since the outbreak began in early January 2020. That compares with about 800 flu-related deaths in a typical year, according to doctors in a nation of 5.7 million.

"While the idea of hundreds of deaths from COVID seems staggering, compared to the deaths so far and well worth prevention efforts, it's on par with influenza that society barely cares about," said Alex Cook, an expert on infectious disease modeling at the National University of Singapore (NUS).

"As many as 1,000 people may die in the next year or two in Singapore, if vaccinations among the elderly do not improve," he continued. Singapore alone reported six COVID-19 deaths in the past two weeks, none of which were vaccinated.

Meanwhile, experts predict most of the deaths will occur among those in the oldest age group, who remain not receiving the COVID-19 vaccine despite being eligible for nearly half a year.

Singapore's Minister of Health (Menkes) Ong Ye Kung said this month, the economy is open, Singaporeans must be psychologically prepared, the number of deaths from COVID-19 is likely to rise as well.

Three-quarters of Singapore's population is fully receptive to the coronavirus vaccine, and the country will relax more restrictions in September, when the vaccination rate hits 80 percent. As of August 16, 80 percent of those aged 70 and over had been fully vaccinated, and those aged 60-69 were 88 percent.

To note, preliminary results from mathematical models suggest the estimated death toll for seniors aged 60 and over will be around 480 by 2022, said Teo Yik Ying, dean of the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health at NUS.

"If countries start moving toward a COVID-19 endemic strategy, there will be deaths to follow, although it remains unclear how many of these will be excess deaths and how many will occur regardless of COVID-19," Teo said.