Coronavirus COVID-19

Dear @waqashassn Throat discomfort is one of the symptoms of COVID-19 infection. You might wish to consult a doctor early and get a COVID-19 swab performed to rule out any COVID-19 infection. Hope this helps.

Dear Goldenwhiskey, the Pneumococcal and Influenza vaccine is strongly recommended for certain groups of patients (e.g. age >65, with other medical conditions such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, ischemic heart dieseases, etc). For a young healthy 54 year old, the vaccines are still recommended, as you can still be susceptible to the infections. Do not worry, as allergy to Chloroquin is not an contraindication towards the 2 above-mentioned vaccines. 

Dear @b_itchy Yes you will be issued a 5 days MC which is equivalent to an SHN if you present with upper respiratory tract infection.

If the clinic is a Public Health Preparedness Clinic, Swab and Send Home Clinic, patients aged 13 years and above will be offered to do a COVID-19 swab at your first presentation. Alternatively, you might be refered to another location to undergo the COVID-19 swab test.  
 
If you agree to undergo the swab, MC/ SHN duration will be minimum 3 days to allow time for the COVID-19 results to be out. Once the results are out, you can check the results on healthhub and you will receive an SMS from MOH. 

You will need to stay at home for the whole duration of 5 days MC or till you receive the COVID-19 swab result that says you are COVID-19 negative before you can leave your house. Hope this helps.

@tokkokking  No. There is no evidence that suggests that COVID vaccination affects Male or Female Fertility. Kindly refer to the link below. Hope this helps.

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-56012529#:~:text=Claims%20on%20social%20media%20that,bodies%20to%20attack%20the%20placenta.

Dear @Goldenwhiskey  The pfizer-BioNtech COVID-19 Vaccine is not recommended for patients with a history of anaphylaxis or severe allergies as well as severe drug reactions. You might wish to discuss your suitability for the vaccination with the healthcare team administering the vaccine prior to receiving it. Hope this helps.

Dear @Fit-me7 The pfizer-BioNtech COVID-19 Vaccine is not recommended for patients with a history of anaphylaxis or severe allergies as well as severe drug reactions. You might wish to discuss the degree of your allergy and your suitability for the vaccination with the healthcare team administering the vaccine prior to receiving it. Hope this helps.

Dear @Siti I do not forsee any added risk for you with regards to receiving the COVID-19 vaccination. You may continue your daily anti histamines before and after receiving the vaccination. Hope this helps.

Dear @Kelvin_tan Kindly note that he is advised to take his covid-19 vaccination at least 2 weeks after his influenza and pneumococcal vaccine today. Hope this helps you in scheduling his vaccination appt.

Dear @nomanmarsuni Your mother belongs to the high risk group as she is elderly and has chronic conditions like diabetes. She will have poorer outcome in the unfortunate event if she contracts covid-19. 

It is recommended that she undergoes the covid-19 vaccination. However the vaccination center will definitely check on her medical and medication history thoroughly to ensure that she is suitable for vaccination before proceeding. You may wish to proceed to book her Covid-19 vaccination. 

Please be reminded to press on her vaccination site longer as she is on blood thinners, to prevent a big bruise on the injection site. Hope this helps.

Dear @srmoore. You should seek medical attention if you are tested positive for COVID-19 and follow the prevailing medical advice by your country's COVID healthcare management team. This might vary from country to country. I would recommend you seek emergency attention if you have any shortness of breath, persistent fever that does not go away with anti-pyretics such as paracetamol or generally unwell. Do get well soon.

Hi @demarcus thats an interesting question, and yes - infection/inflammation in the nasal passage can irritate the nerves in the area leading to activation of the sneezing reflex. Inflammation is mediated in part by the release of histamines, which can occur with mast cell activation. As you said, the histamine then triggers the release of other downstream inflammatory chemicals which together lead to vasodilation (increased blood flow) and immune/white blood cells in the blood stream being activated to the area.

If you're still curious to find out more about mast cells and histamine, heres a resource with more information:  
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2015.00620/full#:~:text=In%20the%20skin%2C%20antigens%2C%20via,this%20can%20lead%20to%20angioedema.

Dear Wenda, a person's baseline body temperature may fluctuate quite a bit, depending on time of day, activity level, where the temperature was taken and the type of thermomter used!  However, T 38 is a fever, and there are so many causes: maybe viral, bacterial infections, or even some forms of cancer. 

I would strongly advise that someone with a fever (especially now with Covid-19), to please check for the nearest PHPC clinic, and call ahead to make an appointment. The attending doctor will need to assess, take a history, do a physical examination, and then advise accordingly. 
Stay well!

https://www.gov.sg/article/i-am-showing-respiratory-symptoms-where-should-i-go

https://www.flugowhere.gov.sg/

Hi @palmer , thank you for your question!

This is definitely one of the more recent debates regarding COVID. Unfortunately there isn't enough information available for us to definitively say that the infections in Beijing are a result of salmon imports. It is largely a possibility. As stated in the article, the virus itself was found on chopping boards in the market which, in all honesty, could have come from the population itself. Once more information is available then we can probably get a better idea of safety. 

The virus itself has not shown definitive cross species infection to fish thus far so I would say it is unlikely that it would spread from humans to fish and then back to humans. 

If you're really worried, then I would advise just to stay away from Salmon imported from Europe. 

Hope this helps!

Hi @Fiqah thats an interesting question! However, no medications (including antiretrovirals) have been proven in clinical studies to prevent (as relevant to your question) nor treat the COVID-19  virus to date. In fact, patients with HIV can have impaired immune systems, and may be at increased risk of poorer outcomes if they catch the infection.