WHO issues guidance on new SARS-like virus

GENEVA — The World Health Organization on Wednesday urged health workers around the world to report any patient with acute respiratory infection who may have travelled to Saudi Arabia or Qatar and been exposed to a new SARS-like virus confirmed in two people so far. The United Nations agency put out a global alert on Sunday saying a new virus had infected a 49-year-old Qatari who had recently travelled to Saudi Arabia - where another man with an almost identical virus had died. The Qatari remained critically ill in hospital in Britain, according to the WHO’s latest information as of Tuesday. The WHO said on Wednesday no new case of acute respiratory syndrome with renal failure due to the new virus had been reported but its investigations continued. “We’ve got things in place should things change, should the behaviour of the virus change,” spokesman Gregory Hartl said. The WHO said it was working closely with Saudi authorities regarding health measures for the haj pilgrimage to Mecca next month when millions of Muslims travel to the kingdom and then return to their home countries. Its clinical guidance to 194 member states said health care workers should be alert to anyone with acute respiratory syndrome that may include fever (above 38oC or 100.4oF) and cough, requiring hospitalisation, who had been in the area where the virus was found or in contact with a suspect or confirmed case within the previous 10 days. The virus, known as a coronavirus also related to the common cold, comes from the same family as SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) which emerged in China in 2002. SARS infected 8,000 people worldwide and killed 800 of them before being brought under control. The WHO said it was identifying a network of laboratories that could provide expertise on coronaviruses to countries. “Though it is a very different virus from SARS, given the severity of the two confirmed cases so far, WHO is engaged in further characterizing the novel coronavirus,” it said, referring to genetic sequencing. Hartl, speaking to reporters on Tuesday, said: “This is not SARS, it will not become SARS, it is not SARS-like.” It was not established whether the virus spread by human to human contact or just how it was transmitted, he said. “We don’t know if all cases of infections are as severe as the two cases we have currently or in fact whether there have been 2 million cases of this virus and only 2 severe cases.”

Citizen & PR will be eligible for subsidies for poly part-time diploma courses

Singapore citizens (SCs) and permanent residents (PRs) who want to pursue part-time diploma courses are in luck. From Oct 1 this year, those accepted into polytechnic part-time diploma programmes for the first time will be eligible for government subsidies, said the Ministry of Education (MOE) today. Citizens will receive a 70 per cent subsidy regardless of government subsidies previously received from participating in full-time diploma or full-time and part-time degree programmes. This will apply to those who attempted but failed to obtain a full-time diploma qualification previously as well as to citizens who already have a full-time diploma or degree. Currently, MOE provides subsidies at the diploma level only once and does not subsidise those who already hold diploma or higher qualifications. Meanwhile, PRs will receive a 60 per cent subsidy regardless of the subsidy consumed in their previous full-time diploma programmes. They will receive this subsidy as long as they have not previously attained a qualification at the diploma or higher level that was subsidised through an MOE subsidy or Government sponsorship. This revision is applicable to all part-time diploma programmes at the polytechnics which are subsidised by MOE. New part-time diploma intakes commencing their studies on or after Oct 1 will be able to benefit from this revision. This is part of the government's commitment to help working Singaporeans to upgrade or re-skill through part-time learning at the polytechnics. In addition, individuals who wish to study further after a full-time or part-time diploma can enrol in the relevant Advanced Diploma (AD) and Specialist Diploma (SD) programmes. The MOE subsidy for these post-diploma programmes can be tapped on more than once by each individual, subject to a limit of once every five years.