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It is highly unlikely that bats in Singapore are carrying the coronavirus that causes Covid-19, but people who come into contact with one should still take precautions, two experts said.
For example, residents who have bats flying into their homes should look out for any secretions and contamination from the animal and clean them as soon as possible. This is because bats can spread viruses through their faeces.
Professor Wang Linfa , director of the emerging infectious diseases programme at Duke-NUS Medical School, said: “There is no evidence that bats in Singapore are carrying Covid-19 or related viruses.
“Of course, a negative finding does not prove a complete absence. Hence, it is always a good idea to be on the alert, but there is no need for panic.”
Another infectious diseases expert, Dr Leong Hoe Nam, who practises at Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital, said the possibility of a bat spreading the virus to a human is similar to the odds of striking the lottery. But he also cautioned: “The risk is small but real.”
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