[Updated] Testing positive for Omicron on arrival in Singapore: One reader’s experience

With constantly changing border measures, testing regimes and the possibility of further lockdowns, year end travel isn’t quite panning out the way we’d hoped- but it sure beats the situation we were in this time last year. 

Even so, anyone who ventures overseas at the moment needs to accept that a COVID-19 infection is a very real possibility. 

The good news is that fully vaccinated individuals have very little to worry about, at least medically (get your boosters, people). The bad news is that getting infected still entails a whole lot of administrative hassle, especially if you’re unlucky enough to get the new Omicron variant.

That’s exactly what happened to Milelion reader Kevin (not his real name), a Singapore citizen who shares the account below. 

Testing positive for Omicron on arrival

On 13 December, my girlfriend Sora and I flew from London to Singapore on SQ305. This wasn’t a VTL flight- we couldn’t find any award space. But since we could both work from home, we were fine with the 7-day SHN, which we planned to spend at her apartment.

Both of us are double vaccinated (with Pfizer) and received negative results on our pre-departure ARTs done in downtown London about a day before our flight. 

We landed at Changi around 6.30 a.m on 14 December and went through the usual arrivals process. The swab test was done at Terminal 3 after luggage collection around 7 a.m, after which we headed straight to her apartment. 

I felt fine in the morning, but Sora felt a bit off around 11 a.m and went to take a nap. At 12 p.m, we were both informed via SMS that we’d tested positive. 

MOH officials called us to start the contact tracing process (basically our Grab driver and those who sat near us on the plane- we were in Business Class so hopefully that won’t be too many) and issue an isolation order. We were also told that we’d receive further instructions, and not to leave the house under any circumstances.

Surprisingly, things didn’t happen straight away. It wasn’t until 9 or 10 p.m the following day (15 December) that Sora got a call with further details on conveyance to NCID (National Centre for Infectious Diseases). An ambulance crew would come to pick her up, and they’d call at least 15 minutes before arrival. She was advised to have a bag on standby with clothes for five days, plus essentials like toiletries. 

The ambulance call for Sora came at 11 p.m, and the ambulance itself at 11.45 p.m. 

My call came at 3 p.m on 16 December, and the ambulance arrived at 4 p.m.

On arrival at NCID, I was put into a 2-bed room (by the way, you’re not allowed to take photos of the NCID ward, in case you’re wondering why they’re absent). I went through a (very deep) PCR test, had blood samples drawn, took a bedside chest X-ray, and had my blood pressure and temperature measured. After that, I was sent back to the room with a tracking device to ensure I didn’t leave. 

The doctor who attended to me told me there were two conditions to get out of NCID:

1. A minimum of 10 days must pass from the date of my first positive PCR test (i.e. the one I did on arrival at Changi on 14 December)
2. My CT value must be greater than 30 for two consecutive PCR tests (tests are done once every 3 days)

I mean, leaving aside the fact it’s the festive season, you’ll want to get the hell out of dodge as soon as you can because the stay experience at NCID is, shall we say, less than desirable.

The food is bad. Really bad. It’s supposedly what you’d get if you were in a C-class ward in a government hospital, and pray hard you had the foresight to bring cup noodles. 

Rooms have power plugs so you can do your work and charge your devices, but the Wi-Fi signal (from Wireless@SG) is so spotty you’ll probably need to tether from your phone’s data plan, or have the foresight and bring a mobile Wi-Fi as I did – shoutout to TP-Link and its M7200 mobile Wi-Fi + my Circles 50GB plan for keeping me employed.

PCR tests are scheduled every 3 days. For what it’s worth, the CT score of my initial PCR test at Changi was 25, which worsened to 16 when I arrived at NCID. 

Thankfully, you don’t need to wear your mask when inside the room. In terms of routine, every morning the nurse takes your blood pressure and your oxygen readings. The doctors do their rounds and listen to your lungs. Three meals are served per day, and you can ask the nurses for water, coffee, tea, biscuits and slices of bread with butter and jam at any time.

I mentioned my room had two beds. I was alone for the first two days, then late at night on 18 December I got a roommate. He’d just arrived from a VTL flight and hadn’t been officially confirmed with Omicron just yet, so imagine the surprise he had when I told him I was a confirmed case. He raised an almighty stink with the staff about this, but anyways was confirmed shortly after. 

You might think they’d take pains to keep roommates isolated, but not really. There’s only a thin privacy curtain separating the two beds, and you both share a toilet. That said, I didn’t really mind having a companion. Having someone to talk to really helps with the isolation, since the only interactions you’ll have are with the nurses when they bring you things and the doctor in the morning. 

In terms of symptoms, the first two days were rough. I had body aches, fever, general lethargy. My roommate (who had done his booster) was completely asymptomatic.  So get your vaccines and boosters boys and girls – they really do work.

Over the next couple of days, I noticed NCID getting progressively full. Nurses were being transferred over from TTSH, and more patients were arriving each day. 

Life got much better on 20 December, when I was informed out of the blue that I was going to be relocated to Oasia Hotel Novena, just next door to the NCID. I was under the impression that Omicron cases were strictly kept in NCID, so either they’re facing a capacity crunch, or maybe they just got too many complaints about the quality of accommodation at NCID. Whatever the case, I’m not about to argue with the decision. 

Sora was brought to Oasia in an ambulance with one other person, and I shared a van with six or seven others. 

On arrival at Oasia, we were briefed on the ground rules:

• No alcohol or cigarettes
• Food delivery can be ordered and will be sent to the room at designated timeslots, along with any other items from the outside world. Deliveries are at stated times – 6 a.m, 11 a.m, 2 p.m and 8 p.m. That said, the hotel has been really nice and has been making deliveries to my room as and when they come. I think they only enforce these timings when they have a large crowd coming in
• The government would pick up the tab for the Oasia Hotel stay, although we’d still be responsible for the costs of NCID treatment (TBD- the bill is supposed to be mailed to me. In any case, this can be claimed from your personal health insurance or possibly travel insurance. I used FWD’s COVID-19 travel insurance which covers hospitalisation and gives you an additional $200 per day in cash per day that you’re hospitalised in Singapore)

Unfortunately, you cannot request to share a room with another person unless you’re married to him/her. Boyfriend/girlfriend doesn’t cut it- that’s just the way it is. 

However, you may have to shack up with a complete stranger. I know of at least one person in that situation. Leaving aside the fact it’s strange enough to have to bathe, poop and otherwise live in close quarters with someone you’ve never met before, there are practical considerations like work. The room only has a single desk and chair- how are you going to split that? What if one party needs to take a late night conference call? Or consider the personal angle- how can you have a private conversation when there’s someone else always within earshot? What if you simply don’t get along with your roommate?

And no, there’s no option to get your own room even if you’re willing to pay. A friend asked and was rejected immediately.

In terms of routine at Oasia- you wake up, your blood pressure and oxygen levels are taken by a professional, and you take your own temperature. All meals are delivered to a chair outside your door, just like SHN. 

For what it’s worth, the food here is way better than NCID, catered by an outside company called Native Kitchen.

On 23 December, my PCR test from 22 December came back with a CT value of 33. To my surprise, even though I hadn’t met the “two consecutive tests” criteria, I was told that I would be discharged. I asked whether that would take place on the same day, and the nurse informed me that she would check. Subsequently, the Ops team called me and told me that I could only be discharged the next day between 12-5p.m.

I wasn’t about to question that though, and indeed on 24 December at around 2 p.m a knock came at my door and I was told by a member of the staff that I was going to be released immediately. The discharge process was rather unceremonious- no paperwork, no bills, just a discharge memo stating to whom it may concern that I’m no longer infectious.

I was discharged along with a whole bunch of others, and we were allowed to take any form of transport home.

On the whole, what bothered me most about the entire process was the lack of communication. I found that information wasn’t very forthcoming- for example, I had to proactively ask for CT values from my PCR tests (you’d think they’d tell you this sort of thing).

I did not receive advance notice of many of the things that happened, whether it was getting a roommate (at NCID – I fortunately did not have one at Oasia), my relocation to Oasia or my discharge. Things just happened, and you’re supposed to just accept it (not unlike NS, for those who have had that experience).

Reflections

My “ordeal” lasted 10 days, which might not seem that long in the grand scheme of things- but that’s only with the benefit of hindsight. Remember, when going in you have absolutely no idea how long this is going to last. There’s no roadmap, and the lack of information and updates creates all sorts of anxiety.

There’s also no one to check up on you- to ask how you’re doing, whether you’re having issues with your roommate, whether you need help. Unlike NCID, you do not have a doctor to see every morning. At Oasia, once the door is closed you are pretty much on your own. I’m fine without the coddling and had the benefit of colleagues, friends and siblings texting and sending me food, and work to distract me, but I know there’ll be those who need this kind of support and are not getting it.

We talk about being a nation which is more open and supportive of people with mental health issues, but I felt that my experience was the exact opposite of that – it created an environment of anger, fear, anxiety and helplessness which even strong-willed individuals may find a challenge to stomach. Once again, the very worst part of it all is that there is no fixed date as to when you can leave – it could be 10 days after first PCR, 13 days after first PCR – there is just no way for you to know when you can finally leave the box that is your room. However silly it sounds, there were moments when I genuinely felt that I would never hit that magical number 30 and be stuck at Oasia until at least 2022.

The authorities could have done better to provide adequate support and extend an open line of communications with patients for them to ask questions, extend support and to provide more frequent updates. It bears reminder that behind those statistics, case, NRIC and room numbers are people; individuals who have done nothing wrong but contract a virus.

That being said, to give credit where credit is due, during my stay at Oasia, the front desk receptionist was always helpful and cheerful whenever I called her in the morning to be patched in to the medical team, and the nurse at the swab test station perhaps noted the sadness in my eyes and gave some reassuring words. I am immensely grateful to them for that.

 To date I have yet to receive my bill, so I’m still in the dark as to how much I’m on the hook for my stay at NCID.

Tips 

NCID

• When packing for NCID, bring instant food like cup noodles and a kettle (with the SAFETY mark, or else it’ll be rejected). It’s not that they don’t have hot water at NCID, it’s just that every time you need something, the nurses will have to fully kit up to enter the room. Try and make their lives easier.
• Ask for the Malay food at NCID since it’s ever so slightly better
• During your stay at NCID, you’ll be allowed one and only one visit from the outside to pass you things. Plan what you need carefully because you won’t get another shot at it (fresh food is not allowed, although fruits are fine. Raw eggs for cup noodles are not permitted- I tried)
• If you’re a workaholic, go ahead and bring your monitor to NCID. No one really cares. 
• Do note that your “desk” is small – if you’ve been to a hospital before, it’s the tray that sits in front of your bed, but as it moves independently, you can fashion it as a desk. So if you intend to bring a monitor, the maximum size is probably 27 inches. 
• If you need to work through the night, try and bring a small clip-on light. If you have a roommate, it’s only polite to switch off the main lights at night if they’re not a workaholic like you.
• I didn’t try to bring in any large electronics like an electric stove, but they’ll probably reject you as there are oxygen tanks in the walls and so there is a real risk of a fire occurring due to a short circuit. NCID’s website does state what you can and cannot bring in – don’t spoil it for the rest of us by being unreasonable.
• There’s the usual 2 in 1 shampoo + soap dispenser, but you probably want your own.
• Bring blankets, a pillowcase and a bedsheet if you are icky about these things – they give you a pillow “cover” and the usual government-issued blanket which the boys who have done reservist at ITI will know what I’m talking about. The room can get cold, but you can adjust the thermostat to 24 degrees. Bring your own towel as well as the hospital’s one is thin.
• NCID offers you hospital attire to wear, but I don’t think anyone uses it.
• There is one television overhead with free to air channels, but no one uses it.
• Bring moisturiser – the air can get quite dry and everything will start cracking. A Vicks inhaler will also be useful for those times when you wake up in cold sweat thinking you lost your sense of smell.

Oasia

• Try to pack as efficiently as possible to make your move to Oasia as smooth as possible. No one will help you carry your personal belongings for obvious reasons. Rolling luggage is a plus.
• Oasia does not have a laundry service, so you should be prepared for that in terms of your clothes and bedding.
• Oasia’s cups are pretty small, so it may be a good idea to bring your own. They also do not wash them for you to minimize contact between you and their staff (which is very understandable). Just bring a small sponge and some dishwashing liquid and you will be good to go.
• If you have the misfortune of having a roommate at Oasia, be prepared to have a conversation with them about sharing the sole desk if you have to work. If not, Netflix and chill may be your only option.
• Oasia has pretty good free open Wi-Fi – I had no issues with internet calls etc.

Conclusion

So that’s Kevin’s experience with testing positive for Omicron on return to Singapore, which should hopefully give you an idea of what to expect should the same fate befall you. 

If you have questions on the experience for Kevin, leave a note in the comments and he’ll answer them as and when he can.