The Difference between Linked cases and cases under quarantined explained.
Recent reports by MOH has raised some eyebrows.
A typical report is as follow
Singapore reported 22 locally transmitted COVID-19 cases as of noon on Sunday (May 23), including 21 in the community and one who resides in a dormitory.
Nineteen infections are linked to previous cases, while two community cases are currently unlinked. Among them, 12 cases had been placed on quarantine earlier.
This implied that out of the 19 linked cases, 7 have not been on quarantine. The understanding is that linked cases are usually picked out during quarantine, thus a mismatch in the numbers puzzle.
Using the same example ( May 23 report), we understand that the linked cases that were not quarantined were detected through surveillance. The link in these cases are PLACES and not PEOPLE. It is rather odd to link to places like a mall since it is a rather large location instead of a specific store. Nonetheless, the mystery is solved.
The linked cases without quarantine for May 23 as follows :
JEM/ Westgate cluster
Detected through surveillance:
Case 63597 is a 39 year-old
female Malaysia national who is employed by Eng Leng Contractors Pte Ltd as
a cleaner at Westgate shopping mall. She is asymptomatic, and was detected
when she was tested for COVID-19 on 21 May as part of our testing operations
for those who worked in or visited JEM and Westgate. Her test result came
back positive for COVID-19 infection on 22 May. She has tested preliminarily
positive for the B.1.617 variant, and is pending further confirmatory tests.
Her serology test result is pending.
Case 63600 is a 59 year-old
male Singaporean who works as a music teacher at Yamaha Music School. He
developed a fever on 16 May but did not seek medical treatment until 21 May
when he went to a GP clinic, and was tested for COVID-19. His antigen rapid
test (ART) came back positive on the same day, and he was immediately
isolated. A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test administered on the same
day came back positive for COVID-19 infection. His serology test result is
negative.
Case 63606 is a 31 year-old
male India national who works as a delivery truck driver at YHI Corporation
Pte Ltd. He is asymptomatic, and was detected when he was tested for
COVID-19 on 21 May as part of our testing operations for those who worked in
or visited JEM and Westgate. His test result came back positive for COVID-19
infection on 22 May. His serology test result is pending.
Case 63607 is a 44 year-old
male India national who works at BlackRock Advisors Singapore Pte Ltd. He is
asymptomatic, and was detected when he was tested for COVID-19 on 21 May as
part of our testing operations for those who worked in or visited JEM and
Westgate. His test result came back positive for COVID-19 infection on 22
May. He has tested preliminarily positive for the B.1.617 variant, and is
pending further confirmatory tests. His serology test result is pending.
Marina Bay Sands Casino dealer cluster
Detected through surveillance:
Case 63610 is a 32 year-old
female Singapore Permanent Resident who works as a hairdresser at 98 Hair
House Pte Ltd, and was last at work on 17 May. She developed a fever, cough
and sore throat on 19 May, and sought medical treatment at a GP clinic on
the same day, where she was tested for COVID-19. Her test result came back
positive for COVID-19 infection on 22 May. Her serology test result is
pending.
McDonald’s delivery riders cluster
Detected through surveillance:
Case 63603 is a 31 year-old male
China national who works as a delivery rider for McDonald’s (Pasir Ris Elias
Community Club). He is a workplace contact of Cases 63535[6]
and 63569[7], and was placed on Leave of Absence by his employer
on 20 May. He was tested for COVID-19 on 21 May, and was placed on
quarantine on the same day. He developed chills that night but did not
report his symptom. On 22 May, he developed a cough and fatigue. His test
result came back positive for COVID-19 infection on 22 May. His serology
test result is negative.
Case 63624 is a 27 year-old male Malaysia national who works as a delivery rider for McDonald’s (Pasir Ris Elias Community Club). He is a workplace contact of Cases 63535 and 63569. He developed a headache and fatigue on 18 May. He was placed on Leave of Absence by his employer on 21 May and tested for COVID-19 on the same day. He was placed on quarantine on 21 May, but did not report his symptoms. He developed a cough on 22 May, and his test result came back positive for COVID-19 infection ton the same day. His serology test result is pending.
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