Public Health Risk Due to Novel Coronavirus is Presently Low

The Ministry of Health (MOH) would like to assure the public that based on currently available information, the public health risk due to the novel coronavirus reported by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on 23 September 2012 is assessed to be low.

2. The WHO recently issued a global alert on two cases of severe respiratory illness due to infection with a novel coronavirus. The first case was a 60-year-old male national from Saudi Arabia who died in July 2012. The second case is a 49-year-old male Qatari National who had visited Saudi Arabia shortly before his illness. The second patient is currently receiving treatment for severe respiratory illness in the UK. The virus isolates from both patients have been confirmed to be highly similar. However, the two cases are not directly linked to each other epidemiologically.

3. As of 25 September 2012, the WHO has not received any reports of additional probable or confirmed cases associated with the novel coronavirus. Thus far, there is no evidence of disease spread among close contacts of the two cases, including among family members and healthcare workers who were in contact with the confirmed cases.

4. MOH is in contact with the WHO and our overseas counterparts, and will continue to monitor the situation closely. Meanwhile, we have stepped up surveillance by alerting all hospitals to be vigilant and to notify MOH immediately of any suspected cases. There are currently no cases reported in Singapore.

5. However, returning travellers from Saudi Arabia and Qatar should monitor their health by looking out for signs and symptoms of respiratory illness such as fever, cough and/or breathlessness, and seek early medical attention if they are ill with such symptoms. Individuals should also inform their doctors of their travel history, should they develop these symptoms after returning to Singapore.

Information on coronaviruses

6. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses found in both animals and humans and they are a common cause of mild respiratory illness (such as the common cold) in humans. However, coronaviruses have also been known to cause outbreaks of severe illness, such as SARS in 2003.

MINISTRY OF HEALTH

28 SEPTEMBER 2012