About three years after the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, it continues to affect us all.
Although vaccines have provided substantial protection from severe disease, Covid-19 remains deadly for certain patients – mostly the unvaccinated – and there are multiple new variants circulating around the world.
The virus keeps evolving, and this means that we will continue to see new waves of infection for the foreseeable future.
However, a certain level of fatigue has set in – stemming from the ongoing response over three years, the need for multiple booster shots and continued dedication of resources to the pandemic – and this needs to be guarded against. There are lessons that need emphasis.
For instance, there are strong indications that vaccinated individuals continue to be resilient against new infections. Importantly, new information has led to policy shifts and updates to align our practices with our evolving understanding of the pandemic, such as how the guidelines on masking changed over time, or how recommendations for boosters are rolled out now as new data on virus strains and breakthrough infection frequency are obtained.
This new phase of consolidating and building on the evolving knowledge in tackling Covid-19 requires transparent and science-driven communication and community outreach.
The former involves communicating the ways that vaccines work, their safety profiles and the advantages of each vaccine platform. Miscommunication and mistrust surrounding vaccines remain causes of poor booster uptake against newly emerging variants.
We continue to hear good news about the efficacy of vaccines.
Denne historien er fra December 01, 2023-utgaven av The Straits Times.
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Denne historien er fra December 01, 2023-utgaven av The Straits Times.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Response to retention of Siglap block shows everyday buildings have value
As to what to do with it now, one could look to Hong Kong's Mei Ho House for inspiration
Worker taken to hospital after falling 2.3m at RTS Link construction site
A construction worker was injured on Oct 10 after falling from a height of about 2.3m at a worksite for the upcoming Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link station in Woodlands North.
Battered Florida begins long road to recovery after major hurricanes
Many still without power, water and sewage services; clearing of debris may take months
Famous red gate at Tokyo university in danger of collapsing
TOKYO — Generations of Japan’s top scholars and leaders have passed through it on their way to building an advanced society. Now the Akamon Gate, the distinctive red gate on The University of Tokyo’s campus in central Tokyo, is in danger of collapse.
Northern Lights animate night skies around the globe
NEW YORK - Night skies came aglow on Oct 10 with the shimmering palette of the Northern Lights, or aurora borealis.
Remains of climber who went missing 100 years ago found on Everest
KATHMANDU – A documentary team discovered human remains on Mount Everest apparently belonging to a man who went missing while trying to reach the summit of the peak 100 years ago, National Geographic magazine reported on Oct 11.
From timber to tech Sibu's spotty transition to joining Sarawak's booming economy
SIBU, Sarawak - On the hour-long cruise along Sibu's waterfront, a recorded audio commentary boasts that the town once had more millionaires than anywhere else in Borneo, thanks to the post-war timber boom.
Two Singaporeans among six opera performers arrested in Penang
BUTTERWORTH, Penang - Six foreign opera actors, including two Singaporean women, were apprehended in Penang, Malaysia, for allegedly breaching their social visit passes by staging performances.
Woman in Russian tank factory sent to penal colony for selling info to Ukraine
MOSCOW - A woman who worked for a Russian tank factory was convicted of treason and sentenced to 12 1/2 years in a penal colony on Oct 11 for selling military information to Ukraine.
Malaysians capitalising on stronger ringgit to buy gadgets
GEORGE TOWN, Penang - With the ringgit on an upward trend, upgrading electronic gadgets seems to be on everyone's minds in Malaysia now.
