Singapore's suspension of visits to residential care homes may provide data for an uncomfortable question: Are the COVID vaccinated responsible for spikes in COVID infection, and is there something in them that makes them super-spreaders?

 by Ganesh Sahathevan 

The Ministry Of Health (MOH) Singapore has ordered that visits to residential care homes be suspended for the next month, due to the spike in COVID cases in that country, despite its very high rate of vaccination, which currently stands at just over 80% of the population. 

The spike in infection in the homes has been attributed to infection of residents and staff.

The MOH has determined that the time is needed to ensure that  elderly vaccine hesitant residents in these facilities are vaccinated.

However, residents in these types of homes are isolated for seven days  and tested at the homes before being allowed into the general home community. Additionally, all visitors must be fully vaccinated, and  are also tested before each visit. 

Then, visiting times are limited. 

Staff are all double vaccinated (a process that commenced in December last year), and there are protocols to ensure contact between residents and staff are at all times sanitised. Staff are also PTR tested twice a week. 

Given the above, the likely variable of concern is staff, who do not live on-site, and visitors. Visitors are subjected to the all encompassing rapid antigen tests, while staff to the more PCR directed PCR tests. 

PCR tests can only disclose if the tested are carrying a given level of virus in their nasal passages, and in the area between the ears. The PCR tests is not designed to detect the level of antibodies in the bloodstream. 

Staff however are on site for a longer duration, so they are the more likely factor in the incidents of infection at the homes.

The question then arises as to what vaccinated staff are transmitting, and why. The uncomfortable question that has to be confronted is this: are staff spreading COVID despite their vaccinated state, and are they super spreaders because of their vaccinated state? 

These are concerns that have been raised all over the world where it has not gone unnoticed that infection rates have spiked even as vaccination rates rose. 

Conditions at Singapore's residential aged care homes may well provide the data needed to address that concern.

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Visits to residential care homes suspended from Sept 13 as Covid-19 cases in such facilities rise

Published SEPTEMBER 12, 2021

SINGAPORE — All visits to residential care homes will be suspended from Monday (Sept 13) to Oct 11, following an increase in the number of Covid-19 cases recently among staff, clients and residents of aged care facilities.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) said the suspension is to protect seniors residing at residential care homes who are typically frail and more vulnerable to complications of Covid-19.

In the last two weeks, there were 42 cases across 18 aged care facilities and providers, MOH said, with the number of cases expected to continue to rise in the coming weeks.

"This temporary suspension of visitation will give us time to encourage more unvaccinated seniors to get vaccinated, and roll out the vaccine booster programme for residents of aged care facilities, details of which were announced by MOH on Sept 10," the ministry said.

"We will also be strengthening the testing regime for staff, residents and clients of aged care facilities, and will use Antigen Rapid Tests more frequently, to complement the current surveillance testing in these settings."

The ministry urged the next-of-kin of unvaccinated seniors in the aged care facilities to support and encourage their loved ones to be vaccinated.

Covid-19: 568 new locally transmitted cases in Singapore; 1 in 5 are seniors aged over 60

"Unvaccinated seniors may suffer severe illness if infected," MOH said. "It is also important for vaccinated seniors to receive the booster vaccination when it is made available, to ensure a continued high level of immunity and protection from severe disease."

The ministry said it will observe the situation in the coming weeks and will review the suspension of visitation accordingly.

Read more at https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/visits-residential-care-homes-suspended-sept-13-covid-19-cases-such-facilities-rise