14,200, up from 11,100 in the previous week<\/p>\n
<\/a>. During this period the average daily number of people hospitalised for Covid rose to 133.<\/p>\n
Among those hit hardest were elderly patients with existing conditions.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Dr Kurup personally saw three such cases at SGH. Two of them, one in their 60s and the other in the 70s, were end-stage renal failure patients, with one of them on dialysis. They both had to be put on mechanical ventilators to help them breathe. The third patient needed respiratory support.<\/p>\n
At his private clinic in Hougang, GP Dr Leong Choon Kit says there is resistance among elderly patients to be vaccinated against Covid-19, while younger people believe they do not need any more protection.<\/p>\n
He recounted the story of an 86-year-old woman with a heart condition and other co-morbidities, including high blood pressure, cholesterol and osteoarthritis.<\/p>\n
The frail, wheelchair-bound patient contracted Covid-19 in June this year. When the anti-viral regime Dr Leong prescribed did not work, she had to be hospitalised.<\/p>\n
She had received the flu and the pneumococcal vaccines from his clinic earlier in June, but turned down the Covid vaccination then.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI followed up with her after she was discharged from hospital and she expressed regret that she did not get the Covid vaccination,\u201d says Dr Leong.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Two weeks after her discharge, her son, who takes care of her, went to Dr Leong’s clinic to discuss about Covid-19 vaccination.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
A Covid-19 infection could lead to damage to the body and may result in prolonged weakness.<\/p>\n
PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES<\/p>\n
Dr Leong hopes that more people learn from this example and discuss about Covid-19 protection with their doctor.
\u00a0
\u201cFor people who are not vaccinated, when they suffer an infection, there could be damage to the body,\u201d he says. \u201cIn some cases, even after recovery there could be some prolonged weakness.\u201d<\/p>\n
He stresses that protection should be discussed, especially in multi-generational households that include grandparents, parents and children.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Both he and Dr Kurup encourage everyone to keep up with their Covid-19 protection as <\/p>\n one in five Singaporeans are now aged 65 and above<\/p>\n <\/a>.\u00a0The Communicable Diseases Agency in Singapore has announced on\u00a0Oct 24 that <\/p>\n updated Covid-19 vaccines are now available<\/p>\n <\/a> at more than 600 general practitioner (GP) clinics and\u00a010 polyclinics, as well as through mobile vaccination teams.<\/p>\n \u201cMany of us live with others so when we make decisions, we have to take into account how we are going to impact the people who are vulnerable because we can transmit Covid to them,\u201d says Dr Kurup. <\/p>\n Five years after the first cases of Covid surfaced in end 2019, general practitioners (GP) like Dr Leong are seeing patients suffering the long-term effects of Covid, also known as long Covid.<\/p>\n The <\/p>\n most common<\/p>\n <\/a> long Covid symptoms are fatigue, breathlessness and issues with mental focus. There is <\/p>\n no specific drug treatment<\/p>\n <\/a> for long Covid.<\/p>\n \u201cLong Covid is a real thing and we are seeing some patients with weaker lungs whom we may have to prescribe inhalers to treat the symptoms, for example,” Dr Leong explains.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Dr Kurup points out that long Covid affects separate groups of patients differently.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThere is good evidence from around the world that shows if you prevent severe Covid, you can mitigate the risk of long Covid,\u201d says Dr Kurup.<\/p>\n Currently, the Ministry of Health recommends <\/p>\n three groups of people<\/p>\n <\/a> that should consider Covid vaccinations: those aged 60 and over, people with chronic medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes and heart conditions, and residents of aged care facilities.\u00a0<\/p>\n With updated Covid vaccinations available now for free at polyclinics and private GP clinics, Covid-19 protection can be easy and accessible for those aged 6 months and above.\u00a0<\/p>\n For the elderly, the frail and people living with chronic diseases, Dr Kurup recommends a \u201cholistic care approach\u201d and need for protection against Covid-19, influenza, pneumococcal disease and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) disease.\u00a0<\/p>\n According to Dr Leong, it might be worth consulting your healthcare provider about receiving all the vaccinations in one appointment, for convenience.<\/p>\n The doctors\u2019 message is clear: Because Covid-19 has never gone away and new variants emerge, protection is still recommended.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cCovid-19 in the foreseeable future is still a force to be reckoned with,\u201d says Dr Kurup.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Find out more about Covid-19 protection.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Footnotes<\/p>\n 1 MOH. <\/p>\n Update on Covid-19 Situation<\/p>\n <\/a>. Last accessed: September 2025<\/p>\n 2Lim J T et al.;2024;<\/p>\n Long term cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and other thrombotic complications in COVID 19 survivors : A retrospective cohort study<\/p>\n <\/a>; Last accessed 31 August 2025<\/p>\n
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