Can You Get Infected By Pressing Lift Buttons? And Other Questions About Covid-19

Events surrounding the coronavirus in recent days have proved that the disease is unfolding at a rate much faster than we have hoped.

While its mortality rate remains at a low two per cent, its transmissibility has shown to claim more lives than the Sars epidemic in 2003. One such person who succumbed to the virus a few days ago is a whistleblower doctor named Li Wenliang, who was silenced by the police for making ‘false comments’. He was only 34. 

Coupled with the DORSCON level raised to orange and a total of 43 cases in Singapore (10 February), many have taken extra precautionary measures such as by avoiding crowds and even unnecessary stockpiling. But the most important thing for us to do of all is to practise vigilance and responsibility.

Professor Wang Lin Fa, the director of the emerging infectious disease programme at Duke-NUS Medical School, and Associate Professor Hsu Li Yang, the programme head (infectious diseases) at the NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, share their take on the latest developments in this outbreak.