Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2025

Coronavirus: social distancing remains the best strategy, experts tell Facebook’s Covid Frontline event co-hosted by SCMP

With vaccines, treatments at least a year away, pathology expert John Nicholls and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison say avoiding contact is our best hope. Experts gather for Facebook programme Covid Frontline, co-hosted by the Post, as global Covid-19 infections surpass 1 million

Social distancing remains the best universal strategy against the coronavirus as vaccines or treatments are still at least a year away, health experts in Hong Kong, Australia and Singapore have said on a Facebook show co-hosted by the South China Morning Post.

As the number of Covid-19 infections sweeping the globe surpassed 1 million, a panel of leading medical specialists from the Asia-Pacific shared their experiences on internet programme Covid Frontline, which was broadcast on Friday and co-organised by Facebook, the Post and two other leading newsrooms, 7NEWS in Sydney and The Straits Times in Singapore.

The show is now available on demand through Facebook Watch.

John Nicholls, clinical professor in pathology at the University of Hong Kong, said the seasonal nature of the coronavirus would give the northern hemisphere “a break” in the coming summer months, but warned people not to let their guard down and continue to exercise social distancing.

“As there are no vaccines for another year and there are no really good antibiotics, the best method we have now, which have been used around the world, is social methods – social distancing and quarantine measures,” he said. “That’s the best we have to keep the virus away.”

Hong Kong escalated its social-distancing measures by forcing the closure of all pubs and bars from Friday evening. The number of cases in Hong Kong and Singapore rose to 845 and 1,114 respectively on Friday, while the Australia figure has exceeded 5,200.

In the global race to develop immunisation against the deadly disease, Wang Lingfa, director of emerging infectious diseases at Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore, noted that China and the United States had both started a Phase I clinical trial of a vaccine against the virus, but said they were just “vaccine candidates”.

“For licensed vaccines for mass vaccination, it will take six to 12 months from now,” said Wang, who was on the World Health Organisation committee that declared the Covid-19 a global pandemic.

Alexander Cook, vice-dean for research at National University of Singapore’s school of public health, assured that mutations of the virus recently found by Icelandic scientists would not affect vaccine development as small mutations were “not uncommon”.

Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison, featuring in a pre-recorded interview, said his government would continue to implement social distancing while trying to minimise social disruption, appealing to people to live the “whole new normal” until vaccines were developed.

“This is not something that just comes and goes in a couple of weeks,” he said. “We think six months is a reasonable estimate at this moment. I certainly hope this might be sooner than that but it could also be longer.”

During the show, experts also answered questions submitted by the global audience via Facebook and Instagram platforms.

When asked whether certain blood types were more susceptible to the virus, Dr David Hui Shu-cheong, an infectious disease adviser to the Hong Kong government, said there was no reliable proof on the link between blood type and susceptibility.

Having reviewed a study conducted by mainland Chinese researchers which suggested that blood group O had a lower risk of the disease while blood group A were more susceptible to being infected, he said there were major limitations of the findings.

“This was only a small study. They did not control existing illnesses [of the tested population]. I don’t believe it,” he said.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
China Accuses US of Violating Trade Truce
Panama Port Owner Balances US-China Pressures
France Implements Nationwide Outdoor Smoking Ban to Protect Children
German Chancellor Merz Keeps Putin Guessing on Missile Strategy
Mandelson Criticizes UK's 'Fetish' for Abandoning EU Regulations
British Fishing Boat Owner Fined €30,000 by French Authorities
Dutch government falls as far-right leader Wilders quits coalition
Harvard Urges US to Unfreeze Funds for Public Health Research
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Researchers Consider New Destinations Beyond the U.S.
53-Year-Old Doctor Claims Biological Age of 23
Trump Struggles to Secure Trade Deals With China and Europe
Russia to Return 6,000 Corpses Under Ukraine Prisoner Swap Deal
Microsoft Lays Off Hundreds More Amid Restructuring
Harvey Weinstein’s Publicist Embraces Notoriety
Macron and Meloni Seek Unity Despite Tensions
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Newark Mayor Sues Over Arrest at Immigration Facility
Center-Left Candidate Projected to Win South Korean Presidency
Trump’s Tariffs Predicted to Stall Global Economic Growth
South Korea’s President-Elect Expected to Take Softer Line on Trump and North Korea
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
×