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SINGAPORE – There has been a dramatic drop in the number of people who went to doctors in the past two months for infectious diseases generally transmitted from person to person, and some doctors said that good hygiene and social distancing measures are important factors that contribute to the fall.
The biggest drop is in acute upper respiratory infections, which include both the flu and the common cold.
While around 2,500 to 3,000 people a day generally see polyclinic doctors for these ailments, the number had dropped to less than 700 in early May, according to figures from the Ministry of Health (MOH).
The data collected from the 20 polyclinics here is used for sentinel surveillance to identify trends.
What the data showed was similar drops in the number of patients for diseases such as diarrhea, conjunctivitis, and hand, foot, and mouth disease.
These are diseases spread through human contact, along with poor personal hygiene.
The trend was also observed by the Parkway Shenton medical group.
Most of the group’s clinics have seen a drop of up to 50 percent in patients with respiratory tract infections since the beginning of the year.
“This is largely due to government circuit breaker measures where people stay home and wear masks when they go out,” said Dr. Edwin Chng, the group’s medical director.
He added that there are also patients who “do not want to seek medical attention because they are afraid of receiving the five-day medical certificate,” since that would mean that they cannot leave their homes.
But they are few.
Since February, the Ministry of Health has advised doctors to give patients sick with respiratory symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat and runny nose five days sick in an effort to prevent further community spread of the coronavirus.
Since most people work from home, Dr. Chng also said that the drop in patients is greater, up to 80 percent, at his clinics within the business district.
Dr. Wong Sin Yew, an infectious disease expert at Gleneagles Hospital, agreed that social distancing and better personal hygiene are important factors that contribute to fewer people becoming infected.
This same drop in people infected with the flu or the common cold has also been seen in Taiwan, he said.
Circuit breaker measures in Singapore began on April 7, with most people working from home, and respecting the rules of social distancing and wearing of masks in public.
In January, since the appearance of Covid-19, people were also urged to wash their hands frequently, and all households were given hand sanitizers to use when hands can’t be washed with soap and water.
Ms Joan Pereira, a member of the Government’s Parliamentary Health Committee, said: “Things have changed since Covid-19 arrived on our shores, including our daily hygiene habits and, more recently, safe distancing measures.”
Tanjong Pagar GRC MP added that good hygiene habits are good practices “and should definitely continue even after Covid-19 is no longer a threat.”
She is confident that people are now more aware of the need to wash their hands and wear a mask if they go out when they are not well, and “most will probably continue” with the practice even after the measures are relaxed.
Ms. Pereira added: “We should also encourage employers to remind their workers to stay home or work from home if they are not feeling well, as more employers can now find ways to remotely adapt their work due to this pandemic. ” “
Dr. Wong said, “If we continue to wear masks, practice safe distancing, and practice good hygiene habits, it will reduce Covid-19, influenza, and many other respiratory viral infections.”
Dr. Chng agreed that masks help reduce the spread of respiratory infections.
He added: “In addition, it is important that everyone continue the practice of washing their hands regularly with soap and water.”
While some infectious diseases have declined, the number of dengue infections (mosquito-borne diseases) has offset the trend.
There are more than 7,000 dengue infections to date this year, which is more than double the same period last year.
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