Fine people who ignore Covid-19 symptoms & later test positive: ST forum letter

The contributor said that having symptoms and not reporting them is akin to "carrying an invisible 'weapon' around".

Ashley Tan | May 19, 2021, 01:40 PM

Follow us on Telegram for the latest updates: https://t.me/mothershipsg

A contributor to The Straits Times (ST) forum has proposed harsher consequences for those who ignore symptoms and later test positive for Covid-19.

"Selfish behaviour"

The Ministry of Health's daily Covid-19 update often includes mentions of when the individual's symptoms first manifested, and when they proceeded to visit the doctor, as well as the dates of their diagnosis.

ST forum contributor Ng Kim Yong observed that there had been several cases where individuals with Covid-19 fell sick, but only consulted a doctor days or weeks later.

This, he said, was "selfish behaviour", as these individuals "went to work and frequented public places" before they tested positive.

Ng described such behaviour as "criminal", as they would have been infectious and "carrying an invisible 'weapon' around".

Ng thus suggested for punitive measures to be implemented in these cases such as a fine, since those who do not wear masks in public now are fined as well.

"When we do not wear masks in public, we are fined; so should those who carry the coronavirus wherever they go, just because they chose not to see a doctor."

Backlash

The forum letter received some backlash, with many in the Facebook comments section responding with their counterpoints.

Some acknowledged that there are cases who are asymptomatic.

Others said that chronic allergies and the like could be similar to Covid-19 symptoms, which would make the fine harder to implement.

One user labelled this suggestion a "knee-jerk reaction", which would only discourage people with symptoms from visiting the doctor out of fear of being fined.

Wear masks with higher filtration capability

The symptoms of Covid-19 include fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat, and loss of taste or smell.

When consulting a doctor, an individual's symptoms, health condition and travel or contact history are taken into account when deciding whether the individual is required to take a swab test.

Those diagnosed by a doctor at a Public Health Preparedness Clinic (PHPC) to have a respiratory infection need only pay a subsidised rate for the consultation, medication and swab test.

Singaporean and Permanent Residents, as well as eligible work permit holders, would pay a flat subsidised rate of S$10, while Pioneer Generation and Merdeka Generation seniors would pay a lower rate of S$5.

On May 18, co-chair of the Multi-Ministry Task Force Lawrence Wong urged people to wear a mask with better filtration capabilities.

This is because new evidence of various Covid-19 strains shows that they are more transmissible, and can spread through the air on aerosolised particles.

According to MOH, masks with better filtration efficiency include reusable masks that are made of at least two layers of fabric, and surgical masks.

Reusable masks such as those issued by the People’s Association and Temasek Foundation are considered to have good filtration efficiency.

MOH and the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) will subsequently put up guidelines to aid the public in choosing masks that can better protect against the new variants.

Top photo from Daniel Allen / Getty Images