COVID-19 in Singapore (2020)

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On 4 January 2020, a three-year-old girl from China was reported as the first suspected case of the COVID-19 virus in Singapore. Since then, there has been a growing number of cases in the country. The first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Singapore was reported on 23 January 2020.[1] The first confirmed case of a Singaporean infected with the virus was reported on 31 January 2020.[2] The virus has been identified as a new coronavirus (2019-nCov) and was officially named COVID-19 in February 2020.[3][4]


This entry provides a summary of what is known about the COVID-19 virus and its origins in Wuhan City, China. For a complete timeline of COVID-19 developments in Singapore, refer to COVID-19: Timeline of Major Events in Singapore (2020). For a complete list of confirmed cases in Singapore, refer to COVID-19: Confirmed Cases in Singapore (2020).

COVID-19 coronavirus

Coronavirus comparison

A microscopic image of the MERS coronavirus. Photo from Wikimedia Commons.

Similar to MERS and SARS, the Wuhan disease outbreak is caused by the coronavirus. The worldwide death toll and infected numbers for COVID-19 are updated daily as per the World Health Organisation's situation reports.[5]

SARS (SARS-CoV) MERS (MERS-CoV) COVID-19 (2019 n-CoV) Refs.
Year 2003 2012 2019 [6][7]
Origin Fu Shan City, China Qatar Wuhan, China
Infected (Worldwide) 8,000 infected 1,100+ infected * 167,511 infected
Death Toll (Worldwide) 700 deaths 400+ deaths * 6,606 deaths
Mortality Rate Relatively Low (~ 9%) High (40% - 50%) Relatively Low
Source Bats, civet cats, wild animals Wild animals, especially bats and camels Wild animals [8][9]
Spread Animal to human (zoonotic transmission), then human to human
Principal Symptoms Fever

Cough

Chills or shaking

Fatigue

Shortness of breath

Headache

Diarrhoea

Fever (with or without chills)

Cough

Shortness of breath

Sore throat

Muscle pain

Muscle shortness

Vomiting

Diarrhoea

Stomach pain

Eventual kidney failure

Fever

Sore throat

Runny nose

Cough

Difficulty breathing

Travel History Yes

*The numbers are correct as of 16 March 2020.

Confirmed facts about COVID-19

The following table details what is already known about the virus.

Details Source Refs.
Incubation Period 2 - 10 days United Nations Health Agency [10]
Transmission Close human contact

Respiratory droplets

Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) [11]
Vaccination There is no vaccine for the virus Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) [12]
Ministry of Health (MOH) [13]

Origins of COVID-19

Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market (Wuhan, China)

The entrance to Huanan Seafood Market in Wuhan city, China. Photo from Yi Cai Global.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) was alerted to a cluster of pneumonia cases in China of unknown origin on 31 December 2019.[14] According to the WHO, China reported 44 cases of patients afflicted with the mystery virus (later confirmed as COVID-19) on 3 January 2020.[15] Huanan Seafood Market was identified as the primary hotspot of the virus, given that some of the patients were operating dealers or market vendors.[16] The market sold seafood and live animals, such as birds and snakes.[17]

Death toll (China)

Inside Huanan Seafood Market. Photo from China Daily.

The first death from the mystery virus was reported on 11 January 2020.[18] The victim was a 61-year-old man who had died from severe pneumonia on 9 January 2020. It was also revealed that he had pre-existing abdominal tumours and chronic liver disease and did not respond well to treatment. The man was a regular buyer at the Wuhan Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market.[19]

The following table details the 3 subsequent deaths that are on the record.

Case No. Date of Death Victim Profile Pre-existing Medical Conditions Refs.
2 17 January 2020 69-year-old man Yes [20]
3 20 January 2020 Unreleased Unreleased [21]
4 21 January 2020 89-year-old man Yes [22]

As of 16 March 2020, there are 3,218 reported deaths caused by the virus in China.[23]

Spread of virus

The first instances of the virus spreading beyond Wuhan was reported in Beijing and Guangdong.[24] In a statement on 19 January 2020, the World Health Organisation said that the new cases did not appear to be directly linked to the Huanan Seafood Market.


On 23 January 2020, Wuhan was put on “lockdown” mode where outbound flights and rail services from the city have been suspended.[25] The city has also suspended outbound travel by bus, subway and ferry.

Highest confirmed cases: Worldwide

Beyond China, the virus has spread to 151 countries/territories as of March 2020.[26][27] The following table shows the countries with the highest confirmed cases outside of China. The numbers are updated daily as per the World Health Organisation's situation reports.[28]

Country Confirmed Cases Deaths
Italy * 24,747 * 1,809
Iran * 14,991 * 853
Republic of Korea * 8,236 * 75
Spain * 7,753 * 288
France * 5,380 * 127

*The numbers are correct as of 16 March 2020.

Singapore cases

As of 17 March 2020, Singapore has 243 confirmed cases of the COVID-19 virus.

First suspected case (4 January 2020)

The Ministry of Health (MOH) was notified of the first suspected case of the Wuhan virus in Singapore on 4 January 2020.[29] The patient was a three-year-old girl from China who had pneumonia and a travel history to Wuhan. She had been warded for further assessment and treatment and was isolated as a precautionary measure.[30]


It was revealed that the girl had only contracted a common childhood viral illness unrelated to the Wuhan pneumonia cluster.[31] This diagnosis was based on “epidemiological investigations, clinical assessment and laboratory test results from the suspect case”.[32] While the girl had a travel history to Wuhan, she had not visited the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market. She also tested negative for SARS and MERS-CoV.[33]

First confirmed case (23 January 2020)

The first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Singapore was reported on 23 January 2020. The infected individual is a 66-year-old Chinese male from Wuhan.[34] The man had arrived in Singapore on 20 January 2020 with his 37-year-old son, who is also suspected to have the virus.[35]

First Singaporean infected (31 January 2020)

The Ministry of Health confirmed that the first Singaporean infected was a 47-year-old woman who had been evacuated from Wuhan on 30 January 2020. The individual had been on a holiday in China with her family.[36]

First locally transmitted cases (4 February 2020)

On 4 February, the Ministry of Health confirmed the first 4 locally transmitted cases of the virus in Singapore. These individuals did not have a recent travel history to China. All 4 individuals were exposed to Chinese tourists who were carrying the virus.[37]


2 of the individuals were workers at Yong Thai Hang, while 1 of them is an Indonesian helper working for one of the 2 above-mentioned individuals. The last infected individual was the tour guide who had brought Chinese tour groups to Yong Thai Hang.[38]

Preliminary precautionary measures (January 2020)

The Ministry of Health (MOH) in Singapore has implemented the following measures to mitigate the outbreak of the virus.[39] Health advisories about the virus have been placed at all checkpoints (air, land and sea) into Singapore.

Phase 1

Measures Location Purpose
Temperature checks for inbound travellers from Wuhan Changi Airport Detect symptoms of fever
Isolation Hospital Prevent transmission of the virus from suspect cases
Health Advisory Posters Changi Airport Information for inbound travellers from Wuhan

Phase 2

Upon confirmation that the new pneumonia coronavirus can be transmitted from human to human,[40] MOH has put in place additional precautionary measures.

Measures Location Purpose
Quarantine the following individuals:
  • Those with acute respiratory infection
  • Those who have visited any hospital in China within 2 weeks of symptoms surfacing
  • Those who have visited China 2 weeks before showing symptoms
 Changi Airport Widening the definition of "suspected" cases
Temperature checks for all travellers from China
Issue health advisory notices to all travellers from China Informing travellers to seek medical attention if they feel unwell
Distribute health advisory posters Land and Sea Checkpoints
All public hospitals on “outbreak response mode” Public Hospitals Readiness to respond to the virus threat

References / Citations

  1. ↑ Goh, Timothy and Toh Ting Wei. "Singapore confirms first case of Wuhan virus". The Straits Times. January 23, 2020. Accessed on 23 January 2020.
  2. ↑ Goh, Timothy. "Wuhan virus: First Singaporean case confirmed; she was on Scoot flight from Wuhan". The Straits Times. January 31, 2020. Accessed on 3 February 2020.
  3. ↑ "2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV), Wuhan, China". Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. January 22, 2020. Accessed on 23 January 2020.
  4. ↑ “Novel coronavirus named 'Covid-19': WHO”. The Straits Times.  February 11, 2020. Accessed 14 February 2020.
  5. ↑ "Coronavirus disease (COVID-2019) situation reports". World Health Organisation. Accessed on 24 February 2020.
  6. ↑ "Coronavirus disease (COVID-2019) situation reports". World Health Organisation. Accessed on 24 February 2020.
  7. ↑ Hon, KL. “MERS = SARS?”. Hong Kong Medical Journal 21, no. 5 (October 2015): 478.
  8. ↑ Haitao Guo, Guangxiang "George" Luo and Shou-Jiang Gao. "Snakes could be the source of the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak". CNN Health. January 23, 2020. Accessed 23 January 2020.
  9. ↑ "2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV), Wuhan, China". Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. January 22, 2020. Accessed on 23 January 2020.
  10. ↑ “WHO still probing if Wuhan virus can spread before symptoms”. Channel News Asia. Janury 28, 2020. Accessed 28 January 2020.
  11. ↑ "Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)". Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. February 17, 2020. Accessed on 19 February 2020.
  12. ↑ “Prevention”. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Accessed 28 January 2020.
  13. ↑ “Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the Wuhan Coronavirus Situation in China.” Ministry of Health. Accessed 28 January 2020.
  14. ↑ "Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak". World Health Organisation. Accessed on 19 February 2020.
  15. ↑ “Pneumonia of Unknown Cause – China”. World Health Organization. January 05, 2020. Accessed 9 January 2020.
  16. ↑ “Pneumonia of Unknown Cause – China”. World Health Organization. January 05, 2020. Accessed 9 January 2020.
  17. ↑ Chang, Ai-Lien. “Wuhan pneumonia: First suspected case reported in Singapore”. The Straits Times. January 04, 2020. Accessed 9 January 2020.
  18. ↑ Law, Elizabeth. “China reports first death in Wuhan pneumonia outbreak”. The Straits Times. January 11, 2020. Accessed 13 January 2020.
  19. ↑ Law, Elizabeth. “China reports first death in Wuhan pneumonia outbreak”. The Straits Times. January 11, 2020. Accessed 13 January 2020.
  20. ↑ “Wuhan virus: China reports second death, second case found in Thailand”. The Straits Times. January 17, 2020. Accessed 20 January 2020.
  21. ↑ Law, Elizabeth. “Wuhan virus: 3rd death reported in China as cases soar past 200; new cases confirmed in Beijing, Shenzhen”. The Straits Times. January 20, 2020. Accessed 20 January 2020.
  22. ↑ “Wuhan virus: China reports fourth death in pneumonia outbreak; 15 medical workers infected”. The Straits Times. January 21, 2020. Accessed 21 January 2020.
  23. ↑ "Coronavirus disease (COVID-2019) situation reports". World Health Organisation. Accessed on 24 February 2020.
  24. ↑ “China confirms 139 new cases of pneumonia, virus spreads to Beijing and Shenzhen”. Channel News Asia. January 20, 2020. Accessed 20 January 2020.
  25. ↑ “Wuhan virus: China quarantines city, shuts down flights and public transport as outbreak grows”. The Straits Times. January 23, 2020. Accessed 23 January 2020.
  26. ↑ Tan, Adeline. “Likely for Wuhan virus to come to Singapore”. The New Paper. January 22, 2020. Accessed 22 January 2020.
  27. ↑ "Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Situation Report - 41". World Health Organisation. March 1, 2020. Accessed on 2 March 2020.
  28. ↑ "Coronavirus disease (COVID-2019) situation reports". World Health Organisation. Accessed on 24 February 2020.
  29. ↑ Chang, Ai-Lien. “Wuhan pneumonia: First suspected case reported in Singapore”. The Straits Times. January 4, 2020. Accessed 9 January 2020.
  30. ↑ Chang, Ai-Lien. “Wuhan pneumonia: First suspected case reported in Singapore”. The Straits Times. January 4, 2020. Accessed 9 January 2020.
  31. ↑ “Tests show Chinese girl warded with pneumonia, Wuhan travel history not linked to outbreak in China: MOH”. Channel NewsAsia. January 5, 2020. Accessed 9 January 2020.
  32. ↑ “Tests show Chinese girl warded with pneumonia, Wuhan travel history not linked to outbreak in China: MOH”. Channel NewsAsia. January 5, 2020. Accessed 9 January 2020.
  33. ↑ “Tests show Chinese girl warded with pneumonia, Wuhan travel history not linked to outbreak in China: MOH”. Channel NewsAsia. January 5, 2020. Accessed 9 January 2020.
  34. ↑ Goh, Timothy and Toh Ting Wei. "Singapore confirms first case of Wuhan virus". The Straits Times. January 23, 2020. Accessed on 23 January 2020.
  35. ↑ Zhaki Abdullah and Hidayah Salamat. "Singapore confirms first case of Wuhan virus". Channel News Asia. January 23, 2020. Accessed on 23 January 2020.
  36. ↑ Goh, Timothy. "Wuhan virus: First Singaporean case confirmed; she was on Scoot flight from Wuhan". The Straits Times. January 31, 2020. Accessed on 3 February 2020.
  37. ↑ “CONFIRMED CASES OF LOCAL TRANSMISSION OF NOVEL CORONAVIRUS INFECTION IN SINGAPORE”. Ministry of Health. February 4, 2020. Accessed on 5 February 2020.
  38. ↑ “CONFIRMED CASES OF LOCAL TRANSMISSION OF NOVEL CORONAVIRUS INFECTION IN SINGAPORE”. Ministry of Health. February 4, 2020. Accessed on 5 February 2020.
  39. ↑ “Precautionary Measures In Response To Severe Pneumonia Cases In Wuhan, China”. Ministry of Health. January 2, 2020. Accessed 5 January 2020.
  40. ↑ Tan, Adeline. “Likely for Wuhan virus to come to Singapore”. The New Paper. January 22, 2020. Accessed 22 January 2020.
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