Coronavirus: Singapore should prepare for a new Covid-19 wave in July or August, health minister says

Based on observations in the US and Europe, the potential wave will be driven by BA. 4 and BA. 5 – the two new sub-variants of the virus

One researcher says future waves will be less damaging since more people are vaccinated, which should reduce the disease’s severity even if people get infected

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Published: 2:53pm, 6 Jun 2022Updated: 7:32pm, 6 Jun 2022

Singapore’s Health Minister Ong Ye Kung has warned that the city state could experience its next Covid-19 wave in July or August as antibody levels among vaccinated and infected people begin to wane.

Based on observations in the United States and Europe, where infections increased due to BA. 4 and BA. 5, the potential wave would be fuelled by the two new sub-variants of the virus.

“Once a wave subsides, four to six months later, we should expect another wave to rise,” Ong was quoted as saying by The Straits Times on Sunday.

“Nothing will happen until months later when our antibodies start to wane, then you can see BA. 4 and BA. 5 emerging by July or August … that’s our estimate,” he said.

Singapore reported its first local cases of the new sub-variants – first detected earlier this year in South Africa and has since been its dominant strain – on May 15.