Reuters :
Singapore has the lowest coronavirus case fatality count globally, with just 27 deaths among the more than 57,000 people who have been infected with COVID-19 in the Southeast Asian island.
At 0.05%, Singapore’s death rate is well below the global average of around 3%, according to data compiled by Reuters from countries that have recorded more than 1,000 cases. A comparison with countries with a similar sized population shows a stark difference – Denmark’s death rate is around 3%, while Finland’s is around 4%.
Further, nobody has died from the disease in Singapore for more than two months, according to its health ministry.
About 95% of Singapore’s COVID-19 infections are among migrant workers, mostly in their 20s or 30s, living in cramped dormitories and employed in labour-intensive sectors such as construction and shipbuilding.
While the parameters of the disease continue to be studied as the pandemic progresses, current global trends suggest its impact has been less severe for younger people, many of whom show few or no symptoms.
Singapore has the lowest coronavirus case fatality count globally, with just 27 deaths among the more than 57,000 people who have been infected with COVID-19 in the Southeast Asian island.
At 0.05%, Singapore’s death rate is well below the global average of around 3%, according to data compiled by Reuters from countries that have recorded more than 1,000 cases. A comparison with countries with a similar sized population shows a stark difference – Denmark’s death rate is around 3%, while Finland’s is around 4%.
Further, nobody has died from the disease in Singapore for more than two months, according to its health ministry.
About 95% of Singapore’s COVID-19 infections are among migrant workers, mostly in their 20s or 30s, living in cramped dormitories and employed in labour-intensive sectors such as construction and shipbuilding.
While the parameters of the disease continue to be studied as the pandemic progresses, current global trends suggest its impact has been less severe for younger people, many of whom show few or no symptoms.
Singapore has managed to mitigate the spread of the virus via early detection using aggressive contact tracing and testing that won praise from the World Health Organisation (WHO).
It has swabbed nearly 900,000 people, more than 15% of its 5.7 million population, according to official data – one of the highest per capita rates globally.
Dormitory residents have been put on a rostered testing regime, authorities have undertaken mass testing among vulnerable communities like care homes, and anyone over 13 with signs of acute respiratory infection is offered a free test.
“The more we diagnose, then the lower the mortality rate is,” said Hsu Li Yang at Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health at National University of Singapore.
