Singapore's war against COVID-19 was doomed to failure right from the start.
You can see just how significantly chronic diseases like diabetes increases the risk of morbidity and mortality of COVID-19 :
https://theconversation.com/amp/why-are-older-people-more-at-risk-of-coronavirus-133770
Actually, Covid-19 is supposed to be a very mild and overall 78% asymptomatic disease. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/new...-symptom-cough-fever-case-death-rate-12621830
Since this 78% (asymptomatic) refers probably to average population people, it is highly likely that in an exceptionally fit and healthy population, probably easily ~90% would be asymptomatic or just experience a very mild flu, rather than national panic and repeated runs on supermarkets and banks and domino lockdown beginning from the airport till now, only essential services being allowed. No more dining in, no more visiting of relatives homes allowed.
Actually, the risk of serious medical problems is nothing new at all, with "the probability of dying from heart disease is 2 to 4 times higher in a person with diabetes" https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/heart-blood-disease and the vast majority (2/3) of kidney failure patients in Singapore https://www.nkfs.org/about-nkf/background/key-statistics-on-kidney-diseases/
Yet the PAP cabinet for decades looked a blind eye on T2 diabetes incidence rates till it was far too late and the diabetic population in Singapore reached critical levels of being second highest in the first world:
Singapore 'has 2nd-highest proportion of diabetics'
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/singapore-has-2nd-highest-proportion-of-diabetics
For many years, PAP cabinet refused to invest in preventive medicine for population health, preferring to invest in treatment of late stage complications, focused solely on earning foreign patient payments and fees whilst forgetting that Singaporeans will be the prime consumers of such expensive procedures if we took our own population health for granted. The PAP has scored an own goal in this regard:
“If you look around, our investments in health promotion and diseases prevention, I think... it is actually significantly lower than the amount of money we spend on treating diseases,” he (Minister Gan Kim Yong) said.
: Due to a lack of "holistic approach towards health promotion, taking into account how can we empower consumers so that they make the right choice" Empower consumers with holistic approach to healthcare: Gan Kim Yong To address the challenges of non-communicable diseases, Singapore needs to move upstream and find ways to keep the population healthy, said Health Minister Gan Kim Yong at the Ministerial Meeting on Universal Health Coverage ; TODAY (11 Feb 2015).http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/empower-consumers-holistic-approach-healthcare-gan-kim-yong
As per the first photo of COVID-19 susceptibility to severe complications, the Singaporean population ridden with chronic disease is easily 10 times more susceptible to severe complications resulting in ICU admissions and prolonged hospital stays than would have been the case had diabetes control viz proper diet and exercise lifestyle been properly enforced right from the start.
Singapore is like a soldier already severely injured or disabled even before the start of the war.
Given our very high population chronic disease burden, the chance of survival, let alone victory is at least 10 times reduced than if we had made the long and proper fitness preparations before.
Thanks to the PAP mismanagement and negligence , we are starting this war from a seriously deprived and handicapped position.
God bless us as we sail unchartered waters in a broken and leaking sampan with a 10 times increased risk of tragedy, thanks to our short sighted leaders.
We will need every ounce of support.
===========================
References:
“In three specialties alone, heart, eye and cancer, I see tens of millions of middle-class patients within a 7-hour flying radius, waiting to be served. If they can be attracted here, they will keep us all very busy." Khaw Boon Wan, October 2003.
https://www.theonlinecitizen.com/20...w-exhorts-yeo-with-may-the-force-be-with-you/
http://www.straitstimes.com/singapo...t-apologises-for-not-being-able-to-attend-ndp
https://edmwimg.wordpress.com/tag/lee-hsien-loong/page/5/
You can see just how significantly chronic diseases like diabetes increases the risk of morbidity and mortality of COVID-19 :
Actually, Covid-19 is supposed to be a very mild and overall 78% asymptomatic disease. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/new...-symptom-cough-fever-case-death-rate-12621830
Since this 78% (asymptomatic) refers probably to average population people, it is highly likely that in an exceptionally fit and healthy population, probably easily ~90% would be asymptomatic or just experience a very mild flu, rather than national panic and repeated runs on supermarkets and banks and domino lockdown beginning from the airport till now, only essential services being allowed. No more dining in, no more visiting of relatives homes allowed.
Actually, the risk of serious medical problems is nothing new at all, with "the probability of dying from heart disease is 2 to 4 times higher in a person with diabetes" https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/heart-blood-disease and the vast majority (2/3) of kidney failure patients in Singapore https://www.nkfs.org/about-nkf/background/key-statistics-on-kidney-diseases/
Yet the PAP cabinet for decades looked a blind eye on T2 diabetes incidence rates till it was far too late and the diabetic population in Singapore reached critical levels of being second highest in the first world:
Singapore 'has 2nd-highest proportion of diabetics'
For many years, PAP cabinet refused to invest in preventive medicine for population health, preferring to invest in treatment of late stage complications, focused solely on earning foreign patient payments and fees whilst forgetting that Singaporeans will be the prime consumers of such expensive procedures if we took our own population health for granted. The PAP has scored an own goal in this regard:
“If you look around, our investments in health promotion and diseases prevention, I think... it is actually significantly lower than the amount of money we spend on treating diseases,” he (Minister Gan Kim Yong) said.
: Due to a lack of "holistic approach towards health promotion, taking into account how can we empower consumers so that they make the right choice" Empower consumers with holistic approach to healthcare: Gan Kim Yong To address the challenges of non-communicable diseases, Singapore needs to move upstream and find ways to keep the population healthy, said Health Minister Gan Kim Yong at the Ministerial Meeting on Universal Health Coverage ; TODAY (11 Feb 2015).http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/empower-consumers-holistic-approach-healthcare-gan-kim-yong
As per the first photo of COVID-19 susceptibility to severe complications, the Singaporean population ridden with chronic disease is easily 10 times more susceptible to severe complications resulting in ICU admissions and prolonged hospital stays than would have been the case had diabetes control viz proper diet and exercise lifestyle been properly enforced right from the start.
Singapore is like a soldier already severely injured or disabled even before the start of the war.
Given our very high population chronic disease burden, the chance of survival, let alone victory is at least 10 times reduced than if we had made the long and proper fitness preparations before.
Thanks to the PAP mismanagement and negligence , we are starting this war from a seriously deprived and handicapped position.
God bless us as we sail unchartered waters in a broken and leaking sampan with a 10 times increased risk of tragedy, thanks to our short sighted leaders.
We will need every ounce of support.
===========================
References:
“In three specialties alone, heart, eye and cancer, I see tens of millions of middle-class patients within a 7-hour flying radius, waiting to be served. If they can be attracted here, they will keep us all very busy." Khaw Boon Wan, October 2003.
https://www.theonlinecitizen.com/20...w-exhorts-yeo-with-may-the-force-be-with-you/
