'I could have lost my sight': Actor Richard Low, 73, on his scary brush with shingles
Joanne Soh
The Straits Times
March 9, 2026
A tiny red dot on his left eyelid nearly led to veteran local actor Richard Low losing his eyesight.
In 2013, the 73-year-old recalled that he first noticed the small spot while washing his face. Assuming it was an insect bite, he paid little attention to it. But it grew larger the following day.
As he was about to go on a holiday to Guangzhou, China, he decided to see a doctor, who gave him the green light to proceed with the trip.
"The red spot soon became a rash and started to spread upwards to my forehead," said Low, who immediately went to a hospital in Guangzhou, where he was diagnosed with shingles.
He was sharing about his brush with the viral infection with The Straits Times on March 7 at DS Connect #1. The event, organised by non-profit organisation Diabetes Singapore and healthcare company GSK, was held in conjunction with Shingles Action Week 2026, which aims to raise awareness about the risks of shingles, especially among adults aged over 50.
Low was joined by fellow Singapore actors Chen Shucheng and Zhu Houren, who are collectively known as the OG Gang on social media.
Low said he was told by the doctor in Guangzhou that he could have suffered permanent eye damage if the rash had spread towards his eye region.
"I was so scared... The rash had become blisters then. Though there was no pus, the blisters had started bleeding," he added.
He received intravenous treatment for two consecutive days in the hospital, with each session lasting about two to three hours. The treatment helped control the spread of the infection and he was able to continue with his vacation after that.
Shingles, also known as herpes zoster, is caused by the same virus that causes chicken pox. A common symptom of shingles is a burning, severe nerve-related pain which can sometimes last for weeks.
Low said he was very lucky that he felt only itchiness around the affected area and did not have any pain. But till today, he still occasionally feels some tightness and a tingling sensation around his left eye, especially if he has been in the sun for too long.
"It's been more than 10 years and I still feel the lingering effect, but thankfully I don't feel any pain," he said.
"I later learnt that a friend of mine had a similar condition, also rashes on his face, but he suffered pain for more than a year," Low said, adding that his friend did not seek medical attention until much later.
Doctors advise shingles sufferers to seek treatment within 72 hours of the first symptoms appearing, to reduce the pain and shorten the period of infection.
Unlike Low, Chen, 76, felt immense pain when he had shingles more than a decade ago.
"I didn't think much about it at the time. I felt fatigued and was feverish. I had been working non-stop, so I thought it was just the flu," he said.
When he noticed rashes around his torso, he thought it was a skin infection. It was only on his wife's urging that he went to see a doctor.
Chen, who had difficulty sleeping, described the pain as being bitten by thousands of red ants. He recovered after about three weeks.
Among the OG Gang trio, only Zhu, 71, has been spared so far, but he admits to being afraid of contracting shingles.
Chen joked that it was only a matter of time that Zhu gets it, as he had a prior chicken pox infection.
According to the National University of Singapore's University Health Centre, it is estimated that 80 to 85 per cent of adults would have had chicken pox and 20 per cent of these people would later develop shingles. It is estimated that Singapore has about 30,000 new cases of shingles each year.
Yet, only a minority, about 3 per cent, of Singaporeans aged 50 to 79 believe they are at high risk of shingles, according to the results of an August 2025 survey conducted by market research firm Ipsos on behalf of biopharmaceutical company GSK.
While the incidence of shingles increases for those aged 50 and above and rises more steeply after age 60, younger people are not immune to it.
Zhu shared how his daughter-in-law, who is in her 30s and married to his elder son, film-maker Jonathan Choo, was diagnosed with shingles in April 2025, a month before she was due to deliver her first child.
She had noticed small red spots on her neck and promptly sought medical attention. She worked in tandem with her obstetrician, who prescribed medication that was safe for pregnant women, and she recovered within a week.
"The rash did not spread and she felt no pain too," said Zhu.
Chen said: "Getting shingles taught me not to be stubborn and to seek medical attention as soon as possible. It is very normal for us seniors to just bear with any discomfort or try to self-medicate instead of seeing a doctor."
He added: "So now, I always tell my peers to get help quickly if you feel you are coming down with something. As we age, our immune system is not as strong."
Zhu emphasised: "That's why we need to ensure we stay active to keep ourselves healthy. I'm also very kiasu (Hokkien for being afraid to lose). I will go to the doctor whenever I think I'm not feeling well."
Correction note: In an earlier version of the story, we said that the University Health Centre report was published on March 9. This has been corrected.
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