English (United Kingdom)

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/featured_content/oa?rat=en

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/highlighted_journal/

Global: Zendy Plus annual

Presents the access of premium content as premium feature

Premium Content

Presents the keyphrase highlighting as premium feature

Keyphrase Highlighting

Presents the summarisation as premium feature

Summarisation

Insights

Presents the pdf analysis as premium feature

PDF Analysis

Presents the zaia usage as premium feature

ZAIA

Global: Zendy Tools annual

Global: Zendy Free Plan

Global: Zendy Tools monthly

Global: Zendy Plus monthly

Background In their paper entitled “Real-time monitoring the transmission potential of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID19) in Singapore, March 2020”, Tariq and colleagues utilise publicly available data published by the Singapore Ministry of Health to estimate the effective reproduction number (Rt) of COVID-19 in Singapore [1]. The authors evaluate each linked cluster of cases, study transmission chains and take into account estimates of reporting delays. They use this information to calculate an Rt of less than 1.0 and conclude that estimates for Singapore are substantially lower than those reported in other parts of the world due to robust containment efforts in Singapore. The authors point to super-spreader events and asymptomatic shedding as major drivers of transmission heterogeneity in countries like Singapore and South Korea and conclude that maintaining social distancing and active case finding are key to “stomp [sic] out all active or incoming chains of transmission”. However, it is important to centre this analysis in the current situation in Singapore. We must stress that, while the authors’ conclusions are accurate, they do not account for the recent transmission dynamics experienced in Singapore. The current situation in Singapore As of this writing (May 8, 2020), Singapore has had over 20,000 cases of COVID-19, with recent growth rates reaching over 1300 new cases per day [2]. This growth has been predominantly driven by cases coming from migrant workers, living in large, population-dense facilities [2]. More than 20% of Singapore’s population of 5.7 million are foreign workers, and the majority are manual workers from Bangladesh and India, working in construction, shipping, manufacturing and domestic service sectors [3]. Many live in massive dormitory facilities, with the largest having a capacity of 25,000 residents in a single compound, and up to 20 residents sharing a room, with communal bathroom, dining and recreation facilities [3]. This type of crowding provides a very vulnerable setting for infectious disease outbreaks, and the extent of this is now being realised in Singapore, with almost all the recent reported cases of COVID-19 (> 95%) reported from the dormitories [2].

Heterogenous COVID-19 transmission dynamics within Singapore: a clearer picture of future national responses