Singapore Prime Minister Lee tests positive again for Covid positive in rebound case
Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong tested positive for Covid-19 again on Thursday, a week and a half after his initial diagnosis, in what his doctors say was a case of rebound infection.
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SINGAPORE — Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has tested positive for Covid-19 again a week and a half after his initial diagnosis, in what his doctors have described as a rebound infection case.
“I feel fine but I’m scared I’ve come back positive for COVID-19,” Lee said on social media Thursday. “My doctors say it’s a Covid rebound, which happens in 5-10% of cases. It’s still infectious although the risk is not high compared to the initial infection.”
As a result, Lee missed a Hindu temple dedication ceremony in Singapore. His re-infection comes as Singapore prepares to host top Asia-Pacific defense leaders at the Shangri-La dialogue this weekend, including Chinese Defense Minister General Li Shangfu, US Secretary of State Defense Lloyd Austin and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
Lee, who is 71, was prescribed the antiviral drug Paxlovid when he first tested positive on May 22 after returning from a six-day official work trip to South Africa and Kenya . He has served as Prime Minister of the Southeast Asian city-state since 2004.
Singapore has just experienced an April spike in Covid-19 infections and its government has been praised for its largely effective handling of the pandemic.
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