Coronavirus outbreak has 'exploded' and the aftermath could last a year, Singapore's minister says
and Singapore. It infected more than 8,000 people in total, of which 774 died, according to data from the World Health Organization.
This is a new virus, it is very dangerous and wistful to believe that it will behave according to previous viruses. So, we do not make that assumption that this will disappear in the summer months.In comparison, the new coronavirus has infected more than 110,000 people across at least 110 countries and territories, with over 4,000 deaths worldwide, WHO said.
Balakrishnan pointed out that the SARS outbreak lasted about four months and its economic impact took around six months to wear off. Meanwhile, the spread of the new coronavirus could last longer and"I think you have to be concerned about a major impact because it's a global phenomenon and it's going to last quite some time," he said. "You need to be psychologically prepared.
The minister — who's a trained medical doctor — said there are two possibilities on how the current outbreak could pan out:It becomes endemic, which means it turns into one of the usual viruses that cause illnesses in people.Singapore, a tiny Southeast Asian country, was one of the earliest countries to report cases of COVID-19. As of Tuesday noon, Singapore had 166 confirmed cases, of which 93 have been discharged from hospitals, according to the country's Ministry of Health.
The country hasn't reported any deaths relating to the new coronavirus. But Balakrishnan said Singapore cannot assume it will remain that way and is prepared for the worst.
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