The most stressful period was the start of Covid-19, when we received the first critically ill patient who tested positive. We knew very little about the virus at that time, and were concerned whether it would be very infectious and how we would need to respond… What keeps me fulfilled and looking forward to work every day is seeing patients recover and get discharged from hospital.
I feel honoured to be representing the Health Promotion Board’s swab workforce. Yet, I am only a part of this collective effort by everyone involved in swab operations… I was quite happy (to be deployed to the dorms) because I could help give back to the foreign workers. I never had a chance to let them feel that Singaporeans care for them. I would also thank them after taking their nasal swabs.
Many of our Certis front-liners proactively volunteered for this operation as they wanted to do their part for the community. They have been working tirelessly for the past year braving the unknown just to keep each and every one in Singapore safe every day… As the pandemic continues to be challenging, we are still working hard and committed to ensuring the safety of the public.
It is a privilege to represent the many who have worked very hard to understand Sars-CoV-2 as well as our immune response to infection. These research works formed the foundation for our efforts to develop new therapeutics and vaccines to overcome this Covid-19 pandemic. Research requires teamwork, including collaborations across different labs with different expertise. I am thus only representing the many who have contributed to the fight against Covid-19 through science.
I would like to thank all of my colleagues at NCID and colleagues from other institutions for working together through this challenging period. Covid-19 has united us and we have emerged stronger. The battle is not over yet, but we have one another’s strength and shoulder to rely on. Sars-CoV-2 is a tricky virus. It is not over yet even with the recent vaccine roll-out. I urge all to practise safe management measures to keep the entire community safe by keeping yourself safe.
