3 more COVID-19 deaths in Singapore; more than 3,000 new cases for a second day

SINGAPORE: Singapore reported more than 3,000 new COVID-19 cases for the second day in a row on Wednesday (Oct 6), with three deaths from complications due to the coronavirus.

The fatalities involved Singaporean women aged between 68 and 102. All of them were unvaccinated against COVID-19 and had various underlying medical conditions.

This takes Singapore's death toll from the virus to 133.

A total of 3,577 cases were reported as of noon on Wednesday, an increase from the 3,486 infections on Tuesday.

Among the new cases, 3,562 are locally transmitted, comprising 2,932 cases in the community and 630 in migrant worker dormitories.

Fifteen are imported cases, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) in its daily update released to the media at about 11.30pm.

As of Wednesday, Singapore has reported a total of 113,381 COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic.

HOSPITALISATIONS

A total of 1,520 patients are warded in hospital, most of them well and under observation, said MOH.

There are 255 patients who require oxygen supplementation and 37 in the intensive care unit (ICU). Of those who have fallen very ill, 239 are above the age of 60.

Over the last 28 days, there were 591 cases in need of oxygen supplementation and 58 who were in the ICU. Of these, 50.5 per cent were fully vaccinated and 49.5 per cent were unvaccinated or partially vaccinated.

ACTIVE CLUSTERS

MOH said it is “closely monitoring” eight active clusters. No new clusters were added to the list. 

Twenty-three new cases were linked to the cluster at MWS Christalite Methodist Home, bringing the total number of cases to 76. 

Four dormitories are in the list of clusters: ASPRI-Westlite Papan Dormitory, Tampines Dormitory, Jurong Penjuru Dormitory 1 and 9 Defu South Street 1 Dormitory. 

The clusters at Learning Vision @ Changi Airport, Man Fatt Lam Elderly Joy Daycare Centre and Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre had one case added each. 

COVID-19 TREATMENTS

An antiviral pill called molnupiravir could soon be used to treat COVID-19 patients in Singapore.

Drugmaker MSD announced on Wednesday that it has entered a supply and purchase agreement with the country to provide the pill if it is authorised for use.

MSD, which is known as Merck in the United States and Canada, said last week that molnupiravir was shown in trials to reduce the risk of hospitalisation or death by about 50 per cent for patients with mild to moderate COVID-19. 

It was also shown to be active against the most common variants of the coronavirus, including the highly infectious Delta variant.

In Singapore, corticosteroids such as dexamethasone are the "mainstay" for treatment of severe COVID-19, the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID) told CNA.

Steroids exert an anti-inflammatory effect, and it is this inflammation that is the "main driver of disease" in cases of severe infection, said NCID's clinical director Dr Shawn Vasoo.

Two antibody therapies - sotrovimab and casirivimab-imdevimab - have also been granted interim authorisation under the Pandemic Special Access Route by the Health Sciences Authority to treat those with mild to moderate COVID-19.