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SINGAPORE: The single COVID-19 case in the Singapore community on Monday (Feb 22) did not report symptoms it developed while in quarantine, despite being identified as a close contact from a previous case.
The 43-year-old Singaporean man, known as Case 60389, is the husband of a Singapore Airlines (SIA) cabin crew member whose COVID-19 infection was confirmed on February 9 after she was on a flight. back to the United Arab Emirates.
READ: SIA cabin crew member could have been infected on flight, 4 passengers also tested positive for COVID-19: MOH
He works as an event planner, but has not been at work since February 1, the Ministry of Health (MINSA) said.
The man was quarantined on February 9 and the swab taken that day tested negative for COVID-19, the ministry said.
He developed “anosmia,” or loss of smell, on February 15 during quarantine, but did not report his symptom, the Health Ministry said.
“On February 20, he developed a fever and self-medicated, again without informing the Ministry of Health of his symptoms,” the ministry said.
The next day, the man was tested for COVID-19 as part of the Ministry of Health’s protocol to screen people in quarantine. His test came back positive and he was taken to the National Center for Infectious Diseases.
His serological test result was negative, indicating that it is likely a current infection, the Health Ministry said.
The man’s wife had tested preliminarily positive for the B117 strain of the coronavirus, the most contagious strain first detected in the UK, and was awaiting further confirmation tests when the Ministry of Health reported her infection on February 9. .
On Monday, the ministry said the man has been tested for the B117 strain and the result is pending.
“People who receive a quarantine or stay-at-home notice should report any symptoms immediately and report their health status to the Ministry of Health every day. They are provided with a list of COVID-19 symptoms to which they should pay attention, as well as notification instructions, at the beginning of their isolation period, “said the Health Ministry.
“We remind these people to be socially responsible and to report their symptoms immediately, even if they are early or mild.”
WOMAN MAY HAVE BEEN INFECTED IN FLIGHT
The man’s wife, known as Case 60102, may have been infected aboard a flight back to the United Arab Emirates, the Health Ministry said on February 9, when she tested positive for COVID-19.
Four passengers who were on the same flight had also preliminarily tested positive for the B117 strain.
The 41-year-old SIA cabin crew member left Singapore on a flight back to the United Arab Emirates on January 30 and returned on January 31 without disembarking from the plane, according to the Health Ministry.
The woman did not interact with any infected passengers on the flight, but may have been in close contact with cleaners who boarded the plane during the change of course in Dubai, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) told CNA on February 12.
READ: SIA crew member infected with COVID-19 did not interact with passengers; possible ‘close contact’ with cleaners in Dubai: CAAS
As with all crew members on Singapore carriers, the woman was not required to receive a stay-at-home notice upon arrival in Singapore, CAAS said.
The authority said it is working with the Health Ministry to implement strict policies to protect aircrew members and minimize their risk of exposure to COVID-19 during their service aboard the aircraft.
These measures include minimizing interaction between crew members and passengers, and wearing personal protective equipment at all times.
On February 2, Case 60102 received its first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.
The Health Ministry said it could not have been infected due to vaccination, as the vaccine does not contain live viruses.
“It is possible for one to become infected just before or just after vaccination, as it usually takes a few weeks for a person to develop immunity after completing the vaccine,” the Health Ministry said.
On February 4, the woman developed anosmia but did not seek medical attention. On February 7, he was tested for COVID-19 as part of the CAAS requirement for the aircrew to be tested after his return from abroad.
Her combined test result came back positive for COVID-19 the next day and was brought to the National Center for Infectious Diseases for a single, isolated sample.
He was confirmed to have tested positive for COVID-19 on February 9. His serological test result was also negative.
Singapore reported a total of 10 new COVID-19 infections on Monday, bringing the country’s account to 59,879 cases.
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