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SINGAPORE: Conditions are functional, rooms are basic, but COVID-19 patient Matthew’s determination is stronger than ever: he hopes to return to his family as soon as possible.
Matthew, a 24-year-old student who asked that his full name not be used, has been transferred to various locations, from a room at the National Center for Infectious Diseases (NCID) to the D’Resort NTUC Community Center. He is now one of the patients currently in a new community isolation facility at the Singapore Expo and MAX Atria.
This facility at the Expo has been operational since Friday (April 10), the Ministry of Health (MOH) said last week. And Matthew was one of the first patients to step on it.
“I didn’t know what to expect, but I wasn’t looking forward to it,” said Matthew, who had been informed of his move from NCID to Expo on April 10. “But I’m a pretty acceptable person (dealing with these things), so as long as I was livable, I was fine with that.”
Later that night, Matthew, along with other patients, was transported to the Expo. They did not tell him why he was chosen to be transferred there.
Looking at the size of the room and the number of rooms it contained, the message came out of how many people were affected by the virus, a stark contrast to the days of relative isolation at D’Resort and NCID, said Matthew, who had returned from your house. studies in the UK on March 20.
He had developed symptoms on March 24 before being protected in NCID the next day. He was later transferred to D’Resort, but was readmitted to NCID for testing after showing symptoms such as cough and chest discomfort.
“I was very surprised to see that there was such a facility built and that it could house so many people,” he explained. “It is one thing to see the photos, but when I saw it in real life, I was still very surprised.”
Upon arrival, Matthew and the patients were informed first, before receiving a package containing items such as toiletries, towels, a bottle of water, and snacks.
Having previously been to the relatively luxurious D’Resort, where his room had a balcony and a shared bathroom between himself and a roommate, this was a major change of scene Matthew had to get used to.
“With the D’Resort balcony, you could get some sunlight and fresh air, I think that was the biggest difference,” he said. “There are also no doors (for the rooms), just curtains (instead). So it’s a totally different feeling … You just have to get by.”
COVID-19: Community insulation facility at Singapore Expo operational since April 10
The food collection point at the Singapore EXPO & MAX Atria Community Isolation Facility. (Photo: Matthew)
The Expo community care center will initially have a room that will serve about 480 patients, Health Minister Mr. Gan Kim Yong said at a press conference last Thursday.
It will “progressively expand” as demand increases and the number of cases increases, he added. The first of those facilities was initially established at D’Resort in Pasir Ris, which can accommodate around 500 people.
The facility at the Singapore Expo will house two types of patients: recovering patients and “early patients”.
The recovering patients, Gan said, are those who have been in the hospital and have “more or less recovered” from the infection, but may still have the virus.
The first patients comprise confirmed cases of COVID-19 that are mostly “pretty good,” Gan explained.
Some of these patients will be sent directly to community care centers without having to go to the hospital first. This is because they do not need extensive medical treatment and can recover in isolation.
Shower facilities at The Singapore EXPO & MAX Atria Community Insulation Facility. (Photo: Matthew)
The daily routine at the Expo facilities is simple and communal. The lights go out at 11.30 p.m. and they come on before 7.30 a.m., Matthew said.
“I honestly hoped the sleeping area would be a little bit more comfortable,” he admitted. “But I am used to it (now). Sleeping is not a problem for me, but I have been told that I am a heavy sleeper and that I can sleep quite easily.”
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Meals are delivered to a collection point three times a day, and while patients have to queue for their food, it takes about five minutes to get to the front of the queue, he added.
“The queues are moving very fast, everything is already packed and it’s the same, so we can just grab it and go,” he explained.
Patients at Expo facilities can choose between different types of food, with the standard comparable to that served at D’Resort, Matthew added. Patients can choose from different types of cuisine, such as Halal, Western, Chinese, and Vegetarian.
“The food is decent,” he said. “Honestly, I also lost my sense of taste and smell and am just getting it back … The quality of the food is almost the same as D’Resort.”
While the toilets are shared among users, they have been kept extremely clean, Matthew said. “It is very, very clean, I think they clean it at least twice a day,” he explained. The cubicles on the second floor of the room have also been reused in showers.
While patients can freely move around the room, most choose to stay in their rooms, he said. There is also a medical center for patients if they wish to seek help.
An added bonus of staying at the Expo has been fast Wi-Fi, Matthew said, and this was not the case at D’Resort. For now, he spends most of his time chatting with friends, surfing the web, and watching shows on Netflix.
Sanitary facilities at the Singapore EXPO & MAX Atria Community Isolation Facility. (Photo: Matthew)
For now, most rooms remain empty, Matthew said. Some are occupied by foreign workers, while all the patients in this particular ward appear to be male, he added.
“It is not yet overcrowded, but I can feel that more people are entering every day,” he explained. “The first day was really empty, but now it’s starting to fill up slowly.”
Matthew’s next hyssop test will be Tuesday (April 14). If that and your next test is negative, you will be discharged. And after spending 20 days in the hospital and in the various isolation facilities in the community, he hopes to finally be able to leave.
“That is all I hope at the moment,” he said. “I’m really determined to go out. But that depends on my body and it doesn’t depend on me.”
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