‘SUSTAINED, CLEAR SURGE’
At Kingsway Medical Clinic, for instance, doctors typically see about five to 10 flu patients a week. In the last two weeks, however, that number has surged to more than 50 weekly cases.
While the clinic occasionally sees fluctuations outside the typical flu season, one of its doctors said the scale and speed of the current spike were unexpected.
Dr Zhang Qi, a general practitioner at Kingsway Medical Clinic, said this is a “sustained and clear surge we are seeing”. Kingsway has three branches in Beauty World Plaza, Sengkang and Toa Payoh.
He noted that as COVID-19 has eased, many people are no longer keeping up with their flu vaccinations.
“(They) are no longer doing the safe precautions of wearing a mask and washing their hands. People are becoming more careless, and the virus can spread more easily,” he added.
At DoctorAnywhere, flu cases have also risen, with a spike of up to 40 per cent in the past week. The increase was seen at both its physical clinics and via teleconsultation services.
Most of its patients are young children presenting with flu and high fever.
Dr Ko Reyor, lead hybrid care doctor at Doctor Anywhere, said the recent wet weather may have contributed to the jump in cases.
“During the rainfall season, we tend to just go indoors and that increases the crowding and contact rates,” he said, noting that COVID-19 precautions such as mask-wearing have largely fallen away.
“That’s when we are then more likely to mix with one another and it makes it easier for influenza viruses to spread.”
Chua Medical Clinic and Surgery in Bukit Batok has also seen up to 20 per cent more patients with influenza over the past two weeks.
Dr Chua Guan Kiat, the clinic’s director, believes the surge is likely a seasonal variation. He noted that Singapore’s dense population and high volume of human traffic in and out of the country make it especially vulnerable.
