There’s a resurgence in Covid-19 cases, with more than 704m people being afflicted and 7m dead as of April 13, 2024, as per Worldometer Corona Virus estimates. There were 112m cases in the US, followed by 45m in India, 40m in France, 38m each in Germany and Brazil, 34m in South Korea, and 33m in Japan. Singapore ranked 41st with 3m cases.
On May 18, 2024, Singapore’s Health Minister Mr. Ong Ye Kung urged seniors, medically vulnerable individuals, and residents of aged care facilities to get another jab of the vaccine if they hadn’t in the last 12 months. Globally, the predominant variants are still JN.1 and its sub-strains KP.1 and KP.2 – both of which account for 67% of cases in Singapore.
If the number of Covid-19 cases doubles one time, Singapore will have 500 patients in its healthcare system, which is what Singapore can handle. However, if the number of cases doubles a second time, there will be 1,000 patients, and “that will be a considerable burden on the hospital system,” The Straits Times quoted him on May 18, 2024. “One thousand beds is equivalent to one regional hospital. So I think the healthcare system has to brace ourselves for what is to come.”
Like millions of others, I also got hit – thrice – by Covid-19 and suffered symptoms of Long Covid, including fatigue, hoarse voice, myalgia, and what seemed like hallucinations. That’s when the seeds of The Singapore Strain took root. Published by Penguin Random House SEA, the book is a work of fiction inspired by facts, written in the alternate history genre, with characters based in America, Australia, Botswana, Britain, Estonia, India, Singapore, and Sweden. I’m donating all proceeds from this book to WWF and other active environment groups.
If you – or someone you know – had Covid-19 and like or have time to read, please consider reading or recommending this book. Thank you & keep safe. Links: