Lest you’ve been hiding under a rock, you would know that the world is under attack by a virus.
To be specific, a Novel Coronavirus.
According to the Ministry of Health, coronaviruses are a large family of viruses known to cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).
This particular coronavirus that’s plaguing the world was is a new one that has been found in China, causing severe pneumonia.
Now, it has travelled all over the world with four confirmed cases in Singapore and another four in our neighbouring country Malaysia.
Thus far, there are more than 2,000 confirmed cases all over the world, with the bulk of it being from within China.
There’s also a total of 56 deaths, all from China.
Thus, measures and precautions have to be taken.
MOH Lists Current Wuhan Virus DORSCON Level at ‘Yellow’ (i.e. Minimal Disruption on Daily Life
As of now, the Ministry of Health has listed that the current Wuhan virus DORSCON Level is at Yellow.
NSman in the office who unfortunately has to come back to work during Chinese New Year: Simi sai, Threatcon increased? My fieldpack not ready leh.
No, it’s DORSCON.
For those who are unaware, the ‘Disease Outbreak Response System Condition’ (DORSCON) is a colour-coded framework that shows you the current disease situation.
It works sort of like a traffic light system, as long as it’s not green it’s a no go.
The DORSCON system exists to help us be prepared for a pandemic and to educate Singaporeans on how to prevent and respond to disease outbreaks.
According to their website:
“The ‘Disease Outbreak Response System Condition’, or DORSCON, is a colour-coded framework that shows you the current disease situation. It also demonstrates what needs to be done to prevent and reduce the impact of infections.”
DORSCON takes into account both disease severity and spread to predict the impact on the community. Our risk assessment for DORSCON includes:
- The current disease situation overseas
- How transmissible the disease is
- How likely it is to arrive in Singapore
- What impact it may have on the local community
In just the last decade, Singapore has had two pandemics, namely the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and H1N1 Influenza in 2009, so this is not the first time the DORSCON has been put in place.
Nature Of Disease & Impact On Daily Life
At the current yellow level, the disease is considered to be severe and spreads easily from person to person.
In addition, the disease is spreading in Singapore but is considered typically mild or only slightly more severe than seasonal influenza but could be severe to vulnerable groups.
However, the impact on daily life should be minimal disruption.
On the other hand, the advice to the public is to stay home or get medical help if you are sick and to maintain good personal hygiene.
The situation is developing and hence, as Singaporeans, there is a need to stay vigilant. Keep yourself updated from the MOH’s website because for all you know, it might be a different level when you’re reading this.
