2nd Aug 2021
NOTICE PAPER NO. 571
NOTICE OF QUESTION FOR ORAL ANSWER
FOR THE SITTING OF PARLIAMENT ON 2 AUGUST 2021
Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament
Ms He Ting Ru
MP for Sengkang GRC
Question No. 1470
To ask the Minister for Health (a) what is the total number of cases of long-COVID diagnosed and logged in Singapore since the figure of zero reported in November 2020, broken down by gender and age group, (b) what are the plans for dedicated, integrated care for long-COVID patients, including physiological and psychological care; and (c) what measures have been taken to support patients with long-COVID symptoms.
Answer
‘Long COVID’ is not a distinct medical condition or a formal diagnosis and refers to persons who have continued symptoms of COVID-19 infection. The underlying reasons for continued symptoms vary, as do the symptoms themselves. We continue to offer care to all these patients, who require support from different clinical teams depending on their condition.
2 A multi-centre study led by the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID) showed that one in ten COVID-19 patients who recovered after the initial infection continued to display symptoms such as cough or breathlessness 6 months after resolution of the acute illness. Those aged above 65 years and who had severe infection were associated with an increased likelihood of these persistent symptoms.