Singapore has to be mentally prepared for fatalities from Covid-19, health minister Gan Kim Yong said at a press conference on Mar. 6.

While majority of the cases have been treated and there have been no deaths almost two months into the cases, Gan warns that it is "inevitable that some point in time, we will see fatalities from Covid-19, as we have seen all around the world."

As of Mar. 5, Singapore has 117 confirmed cases of Covid-19.

Out of these, 36 cases are still in the hospital. Seven are in critical condition in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

Director of Medical Services Kenneth Mak revealed that all seven patients require oxygen support therapy, which largely involves the use of a ventilator.

A number of these individuals have received other treatments, including the use of anti-viral medication, he added.

Mak continued, saying that healthcare workers are considering various options, and that the search for better treatment is ongoing.

"They are considering various options and they are looking at the evidence carefully to make sure that any treatments they provide are appropriate, and are likely to give benefit to patients rather than other treatments where there's no evidence of benefit. But that search for better treatment for all patients continues, almost on a daily basis."

The healthcare workers are also working very hard to support the patients, Gan added.

Longer length of stay required

Nonetheless, Mak says that it "fortunate" that the number of individuals who either had mild disease or were mildly symptomatic had a relatively uneventful clinical course, other than simple support measures that had to be provided.

However, their length of stay in the hospital was "a little bit more prolonged", in order to ensure that they were no longer shedding the virus when they return to the community.

"As a result of our commitment to ensure the safety of our community, to only discharge them when they are virus negative, that has of course led to longer length of stay, compared to otherwise what they might have needed," Mak explained.

Top image via Tan Tock Seng Hospital's Facebook page