COVID‑19’s XBB Sub‑Variant Rounds Up: The Wave May Take an Early Break
Health Minister Ong Says the Numbers Are Having a Chill Out
At a community meetup in Sembawang GRC, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung let reporters in on a surprising trend: the surge of cases driven by the XBB sub‑variant has begun to dip.
- “The last week shows a clear decline.” He said.
- “If this downward trend holds, our models, which painted a gloomier picture, were a bit overcautious.”
- And “the XBB wave is wrapping up earlier than the mid‑November peak we expected.”
XBB: The Dominant Skippers of the Pandemic
Officially known as BA.2.10, XBB is the main culprit behind Singapore’s current COVID‑19 spikes. The Ministry of Health (MOH), in its October 15 statement, highlighted that this wave should hit its peak around mid‑November.
Ong’s remarks came as Singapore opened a new indoor sports hall at the Bukit Canberra integrated hub—proof that life’s bouncing back even as the virus lingers.
Hospital Bells and Whistle‑blowing
When asked about the reportedly 50‑hour waits for emergency department beds, Ong underscored that emergency units have been packed since the start of the year. The backlog spikes further during a COVID wave—sharp enough to scramble bed allocation.
“We’re not seeing as many COVID patients as before, but those who are do hog a chunk of ward space, making it tough for routine patients.”
The ministry is teaming up with hospitals to sharpen emergency prep and bolster staffing to ease the load.
Vaccines Still Matter, Even With the Wave Slowing
Ong urged people not to drop the ball on getting vaccinated, echoing a mantra that “a new wave could pop up anytime.” He also explained why seniors should get the bivalent vaccines—they’re updated to tackle the current sub‑variant.
Already about 20,000 folks have received them, thanks to a Moderna/Spikevax roll‑out that hit nine testing centres nationwide three days ahead of schedule.
Meanwhile, the Pfizer‑BioNTech bivalent release is slated for the end of the year but is still under review.
Quick Facts on XBB
- Discovered in August.
- Spread to 17+ countries (Australia, Denmark, India, Japan, etc.).
- Comparable transmissibility to BA.5 and BA.2.75.
- No evidence it causes more severe illness.
Story originally from The Straits Times—reproduction requires permission.
