Covid-19 Pandemic In Singapore

Book info: Covid-19 Pandemic In Singapore (Hardcover, 264 pages) – WSPC, 2022. Language: English.

The National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID) is the result of many years in the planning, and it finally officially opened its doors in September 2019, just months before the entire world was tested by the COVID-19 pandemic. This book is the work of many people who represent an even larger pool of people from NCID, Singapore and the rest of the world in trying to understand and contain the SARS- CoV-2 virus. There are chapters on science, the public health response both locally and globally, as well as personal reflections from NCID and Tan Tock Seng Hospital staff and staff from other public healthcare institutions who were deployed to NCID which bring home the human impact of the pandemic. We are very grateful to all the authors for taking the time to put together their thoughtful chapters as well as the senior academics and public health leaders who have provided us with generous comments on the manuscript. We hope that the readers of the book will gain a better insight into the response to the virus from so many different perspectives. Although the pandemic has evolved far beyond the pages of this book globally, the lessons learned from the early days are still relevant. We hope that the chapters will be helpful as we review our experience of this pandemic and face the next emerging infectious disease in the years to come. This book provides a comprehensive look at many different aspects of response in Singapore to the pandemic in the crucial first several months, including clinical, laboratory, epidemiology, research, community engagement and the unprecedented challenge of outbreak involving migrant workers in dormitory settings. On a personal note, it has first-hand accounts of staff at the NCID who were at the forefront of battling COVID-19 in Singapore. It also gives a global perspective of the pandemic, together with insights into the unique Singapore experience of managing the pandemic. The Singapore response to the pandemic has been something which the global community has been very interested in and this book is the first to comprehensively describe that response from a number of different angles which will be useful to scientists, clinicians, public health professionals and policy makers. Editorial Reviews Review

"A blow by blow account by the key players in NCID, MOH and related agencies to apply the lessons learnt from SARS. A must read for all those with an interest in public health and infectious diseases in Singapore. This tome showcases the historical epic effort of many. Documenting it in the midst of the pandemic in itself is a herculean task. Kudos to the authors and the key actors for pulling such a feat."

Clinical Associate Professor Tan Thuan Tong
Senior Consultant & Head, Department of Infectious Diseases, Singapore General Hospital

"This is an important and insightful capture of the multi-sectoral partnerships, as well as the planning and preparations that Singapore put in both before and during the COVID-19 outbreak, that allowed Singapore to respond effectively to manage the exceptional public health crisis."

Professor Teo Yik Ying
Dean, Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore

"COVID-19 has brought home cogently the point that unilateral actions have little chance of success and that we must pull together to overcome this pandemic. Besides showcasing the remarkable knowledge we have gleaned in the short time since SARS-CoV-2 arrived on our shores, this book reflects nicely the collective and coordinated efforts that Singapore has taken along with our international partners to combat COVID-19."

Professor Chong Yap Seng
Lien Ying Chow Professor in Medicine & Dean, NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine

"Singapore has mounted a sophisticated, comprehensive and successful response to the spread of the COVID-19 virus, with remarkably low loss of life. This compendium of stories places the pivotal contribution of NCID in the context of Singapore's and the world's struggle to survive the pandemic. I am greatly impressed by the very rapid co-ordination of such a complex campaign, involving public health, laboratory, clinical and research modalities. What strikes me in all these reports, particularly the personal stories, is a wonderfully high level of morale, mutual trust and confidence in a positive outcome. This attitude is undoubtedly underpinned by a high level of preparedness and outstanding leadership and teamwork. It is an inspiring and compelling account from Singapore of the 2020 pandemic that has shaken the world."

Professor James Best
Professor of Medicine and Former Dean, Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine

"Working closely together, researchers and clinicians from Duke-NUS and NCID demonstrated the full value of multi-disciplinary research moving from bedside-to-bench and back. As this book chronicles, these teams advanced understanding of this novel coronavirus and its origins, including significant breakthroughs in serological testing. Their contributions emerged as the first COVID-19 cases appeared in Singapore, while the rest of the world was just coming to grips with the magnitude of the pandemic. Collaborations like this transform medicine and improve lives."

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Professor Thomas Coffman
Dean, Duke-NUS Medical School

"2020 will always be etched in history as the year a pandemic brought the world to its knees and disrupted everybody's life, without exception. This book is an excellent read that is written with clarity and precision. The authors give first person accounts of the various aspects of this defining period and there are many learning points that are well documented. I would highly recommend this book to both healthcare professionals and the general public."

Professor Ivy Ng
Group Chief Executive Officer, Singapore Health Services Pte Ltd

"Historians looking back at the COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore will find many stories of sacrifice, solidarity, scientific advancement, and the human spirit. For generations after, academics, policy makers and even artists and novelists will continue to study and write about this epochal period that we are living in. I want to congratulate the authors of this book for chronicling the accounts of the people who were there, adding richness and texture to the otherwise sterile statistics of morbidity and mortality. I also want to thank my teachers and the co-editors of this publication, Prof Leo and Prof Tambyah, for their leadership, for being a voice of science and reason in a tumultuous time."

Col(Dr) Lo Hong Yee
Chief of Medical Corps, Singapore Armed Forces

"COVID-19 has changed the world. NCID has been at the forefront of Singapore's fight against COVID-19 and has rallied the research community to make a real difference in the global COVID-19 battle. I congratulate Yee Sin, Paul and the many eminent authors who have contributed to this book, which will serve as a record of this 'crisis of a generation' for many generations to come."

Associate Professor Tan Say Beng
Executive Director
National Medical Research Council

"Thoughtful, scholarly, thorough. COVID-19 Pandemic in Singapore is a must-read primer for those wanting to understand the SARS-CoV-2 phenomenon - it spans from virology, COVID-19's global spread, the early response in Singapore and worldwide, to shared experiences from those on the pandemic's front-line. The many authors' expertise is evidenced in their chronicling the rigorous planning and action taken to tackle the public health needs of Singapore's different populations, diagnostics, clinical management, infrastructure expansion, manpower deployment, community engagement, and clinical research needed to mount a campaign which has thus far been successful. I highly recommend COVID-19 Pandemic in Singapore."

Associate Professor David Allen
Associate Vice President (Health Innovation and Translation), National University of Singapore
Associate Professor, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore

"This book highlights the significant contributions by Singaporean colleagues toward successful control of the COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore, and shows what can be achieved through coordinated, collaborative, and integrated partnerships among public health epidemiologists, clinicians, clinical investigators, and laboratory scientists to effectively respond to emerging infectious disease threats."

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Dr Tim Uyeki
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia

"More than one year into the COVID-19 crisis, the sobering truth is that we are only at the beginning of this pandemic. But the good news is that countries like Singapore have shown that it is possible to suppress the spread of the virus. Bringing together some of the most authoritative voices on COVID-19, this vital book distils essential lessons learned from Singapore and globally for the COVID-19 response. We must not only deal with the acute crisis but also plan and prepare for the long-term and the ever-present risk of another pandemic. The National Centre for Infectious Diseases and the learnings captured in this book serve as a real blueprint for countries around the world."

Professor Peter Piot
Director, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

"While the world still battles the COVID-19 pandemic, this book provides a useful and comprehensive synthesis of country case studies, disease epidemiology, and the containment measures and actions taken by Singapore to control the spread of the virus. It shows clear insight into the hurdles and successes of the Singapore response, providing lessons learnt which could and should be used by other nations. The opportunity to learn from the expertise and experience of colleagues in Singapore has been a longstanding privilege. The book will also be valuable in planning for future pandemics and in outbreak responses."

Professor Alison Holmes
Professor of Infectious Diseases, Imperial College London and
President of the International Society for Infectious Diseases

"As of April 27, 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused more than 147 million infections and more than 3 million deaths worldwide. Singapore was forward-thinking in creating and building a National Centre for Infectious Diseases following SARS in 2003 and the H1N1 influenza pandemic in 2009. The Centre was designed to respond to the emergence of a new pathogen and SARS-CoV-2 was exactly that. In this book, scientists, clinicians, epidemiologists, including academics and policy makers from Singapore have written about their experiences and response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As 2020 draws to a close, although vaccines are on horizon, millions of people are still suffering and many countries are struggling with waves of COVID-19. The global public health, medical and scientific community must learn from each other. This book, that narrates the Singapore experience is very timely, informative and inspiring. I congratulate the authors for sharing their insights in these challenging times."

Professor Kanta Subbarao
Director, WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza and Department of Microbiology and
Immunology at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Australia

"The NCID has done a remarkable job summarizing the many activities and achievements during this most extraordinary year.

Singapore, like Hong Kong, having experienced the indelible imprint of SARS, quickly implemented those lessons learned and have therefore fared much better than many other places, for the public's health. The insights gained by its experts and healthcare professionals are of value to all of us, making this book an important contribution to the global dialogue on understanding and controlling COVID-19."

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Professor Gabriel M Leung
Dean of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong

About the Author Prof Leo Yee-Sin is the Executive Director of the National Centre for Infectious Diseases, Singapore.

Dual accredited as an adult Infectious Disease specialist and Public Health specialist, Prof Leo is the pioneer in HIV medicine and established the first HIV program in Singapore.

Prof Leo has led her team through multiple outbreaks in Singapore. These include Nipah in 1999, SARS in 2003, the pandemic influenza in 2009, Zika in 2016 and multiple surges of Dengue. She successfully managed Singapore's first imported case of the Monkeypox in May 2019. Her current priority is now in the fight against Covid-19.

Prof Leo has published more than 300 scientific papers. Her experience and expertise in outbreak management is frequently called upon as advisor and conference speaker at national, regional and international level. Apart from her clinical and administrative duties; she is also heavily involved in research and teaching. Topics of her research interest include dengue, influenza, emerging infections, HIV and Covid-19.

She has won many awards among which are three National Day Awards, one is the most prestigious Public Service Star in recognition for her outstanding battle against SARS in 2003 and two others for The Public Administration Medal in Silver and Bronze, for the year 2020 and 2012 respectively. Other awards include the Excellence Star Award 2005, Red Ribbon Award 2014 and the National Healthcare Group (NHG) Distinguished Senior Clinician Award 2016.

After completing medical school at the National University of Singapore and national service in the Singapore Armed Forces Medical Corps, Prof Ananth Paul Tambyah went on to infectious diseases training at the University of Wisconsin under Dr Dennis Maki. Since returning to Singapore more than 20 years ago, he has been involved in a number of national and international committees including founding head of the division of infectious diseases, National University of Singapore. He is currently President of the Asia Pacific Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infection and President-elect of the International Society of Infectious Diseases. He is currently Professor of Medicine NUS and Senior Consultant Infectious Diseases Physician at the National University Health System. He is also visiting consultant to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, the National Center for Infectious Diseases and the Singapore Armed Forces. He is President of the Asia Pacific Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infection and President -elect of the International Society for Infectious Diseases. He has contributed to more than 300 scientific papers and also books on SARS, Bird Flu and other emerging infectious diseases.