READ: Infectious COVID-19 mutation may be 'a good thing', says Paul Tambyah
Researchers in Singapore have discovered a new COVID-19 variant that causes less severe symptoms in patients, opening up new avenues for vaccine development and treatments.
The variant of SARS-CoV-2 - the virus that causes COVID-19 - was first detected in Singapore in three patients who had arrived from Wuhan in the early stage of the pandemic.
It was later transmitted across several clusters in Singapore before being contained, said the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID), A*STAR’s Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN) and Duke-NUS Medical School in a press briefing on Friday.
Patients who had contracted the milder variant were less likely to develop low blood oxygen or required intensive care, according to the study.
The findings were recently published in international scientific journal The Lancet.
READ: FAQ - Special arrangements for the year-end national examinations
Also on Friday, the Ministry of Education (MOE) and Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB) announced that the national year-end exams will proceed amid the COVID-19 pandemic, with special arrangements to keep students safe.
The written exams will be held from Sep 14 to Oct 16 for N-Level students, the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) from Oct 1 to Oct 7, O-Levels from Oct 19 to Nov 12 and A-Levels from Oct 26 to Dec 2.
Students with COVID-19, or who have been placed on quarantine order, stay-home notice or leave of absence will not be allowed to sit for the exams.
Exceptions can be made “on a case-by-case basis” for those on stay-home notice who travelled out of Singapore for compassionate reasons, such as to attend a funeral or visit a critically ill next-of-kin, said the education ministry.
Candidates who are on leave of absence due to close contact with COVID-19 cases will also not be allowed to sit for the exams. However, those who are on leave of absence because they stay in the same household as someone in quarantine will be allowed to take the exams if they test negative for the coronavirus.
Other candidates who are on medical leave due to acute respiratory infections will also be allowed to sit for the examinations if they test negative.
BOOKMARK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus outbreak and its developments
Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram
READ: Infectious COVID-19 mutation may be 'a good thing', says Paul Tambyah
Researchers in Singapore have discovered a new COVID-19 variant that causes less severe symptoms in patients, opening up new avenues for vaccine development and treatments.
The variant of SARS-CoV-2 - the virus that causes COVID-19 - was first detected in Singapore in three patients who had arrived from Wuhan in the early stage of the pandemic.
It was later transmitted across several clusters in Singapore before being contained, said the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID), A*STAR’s Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN) and Duke-NUS Medical School in a press briefing on Friday.
Patients who had contracted the milder variant were less likely to develop low blood oxygen or required intensive care, according to the study.
The findings were recently published in international scientific journal The Lancet.
READ: FAQ - Special arrangements for the year-end national examinations
Also on Friday, the Ministry of Education (MOE) and Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB) announced that the national year-end exams will proceed amid the COVID-19 pandemic, with special arrangements to keep students safe.
The written exams will be held from Sep 14 to Oct 16 for N-Level students, the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) from Oct 1 to Oct 7, O-Levels from Oct 19 to Nov 12 and A-Levels from Oct 26 to Dec 2.
Students with COVID-19, or who have been placed on quarantine order, stay-home notice or leave of absence will not be allowed to sit for the exams.
Exceptions can be made “on a case-by-case basis” for those on stay-home notice who travelled out of Singapore for compassionate reasons, such as to attend a funeral or visit a critically ill next-of-kin, said the education ministry.
Candidates who are on leave of absence due to close contact with COVID-19 cases will also not be allowed to sit for the exams. However, those who are on leave of absence because they stay in the same household as someone in quarantine will be allowed to take the exams if they test negative for the coronavirus.
Other candidates who are on medical leave due to acute respiratory infections will also be allowed to sit for the examinations if they test negative.
BOOKMARK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus outbreak and its developments
Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram