Singaporeans generally have NOT been wearing masks. There isn't a mask-wearing culture here. The slowing was largely due to contact tracing. Now contact tracing has failed, and we are in a soft shutdown. Yesterday, half the people out shopping weren't wearing masks.
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Replying to @adamcchang @JPerla and
Adam Claridge-Chang Retweeted NUS Medicine
No masks has been official policy here since the beginning until yesterday:https://twitter.com/NUSMedicine/status/1228208056351068160?s=20 …
Adam Claridge-Chang added,
NUS Medicine @NUSMedicineIntroducing, “The#COVID19Chronicles”, an#NUSMedicine series of educational illustrations about the ongoing#COVID19 outbreak. Enjoy the first set in the series where Dr Dale Fisher answers that one question on everyone’s mind – To mask or not to mask?#TrustHim#HesTheExpert pic.twitter.com/PQHlsR52oN2 replies 0 retweets 0 likes -
Replying to @adamcchang @JPerla and
Yeah Singapore is one end (everything else but masks) and Japan other (nothing but masks). Note that Singapore is failing and has to add masks; and Japan is failing and has to add everything else. But neither are NYC/Lombardy.
2 replies 1 retweet 4 likes -
Replying to @zeynep @adamcchang and
Let's be clear. Contact tracing has not failed, that's a huge disservice to those working their tails off providing detailed near-line-listings. We had a mass influx of returning citizens/visa holders in mid-March due to global trends who did not have to serve quarantine.
2 replies 0 retweets 2 likes -
Replying to @jon_y_huang @adamcchang and
It's failed in that it's not enough. Otherwise, yes it's incredible and enormous amount of work. But I think Taiwan shows the clear path, you need tracing and testing and masks. Taiwan even has schools open since February, five deaths.
1 reply 2 retweets 6 likes -
Replying to @zeynep @jon_y_huang and
I didn't mean to imply it was nothing, at all, sorry if it came that way. It can only scale so much and for so long when you have something like this circulating... Just emphasizing we need everything to get R0 under 1. Trace/test/isolate/mask etc.
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Replying to @zeynep @adamcchang and
I think we downplay Taiwan's extremely rapid shutdown of borders and mandatory 14 day quarantine of all travellers. They did a phenomenal job, masks are not the only differentiator.
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Replying to @jon_y_huang @zeynep and
Adam and I have already sparred over masks, so I won't spend much time here. But it remains to be seen how effective they are in tropical settings with temps constantly ~32 C. Sweaty masks and increased respiratory strain are not conducive.
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Replying to @jon_y_huang @zeynep and
I will say I really hope masks are it, but I fear it's a bit of target fixation. There are varying degrees of timing and efficacy of test, trace, isolate that are being painted with broad strokes. (Though not by you, I love your coverage so far!)
2 replies 0 retweets 0 likes -
Replying to @jon_y_huang @zeynep and
One thing that hasn't had as much attention and tough to parse is the effect of rush of travellers avoiding bans, mandatory quarantine, etc. We saw it acutely in the US and elsewhere. How did this "bolus challenge" shift trends?
2 replies 0 retweets 1 like
(That happened in Wuhan and Italy; I suspect NYC also. Istanbul also locked down preceded by an outward rush.
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