Part 11/12:
Health authorities scaled contact tracing efforts, increased laboratory testing capacity, and enacted social distancing policies. The challenge was enormous: with more than 118,000 cases worldwide by April 2020, and over 4,200 deaths, COVID-19 was characterized officially as a pandemic. Countries worldwide faced surges in infections, overwhelmed healthcare systems, and significant societal disruptions.
The Unpredictable Future
The Singapore experience exemplifies the importance of rapid detection, coordinated response, and international collaboration. Despite having experienced SARS in 2003, the scale and stealth of COVID-19 posed unprecedented challenges.