PETALING JAYA: After 10 days of transitioning to the Covid-19 endemic stage, public well being specialists are warning that infections might rise with the specter of new variants and as extra folks let their guard down.
However, they are saying the nation’s excessive vaccination price and masks mandate proceed to protect many towards extreme signs of the illness whereas the hospitalisation and ICU charges have remained secure.
Medical Practitioners Coalition Association of Malaysia president Dr Raj Kumar Maharajah stated folks not appear to be following the usual working process, with many appearing as if Covid-19 not exists.
“People have let their guard down. We are definitely going to see a surge in cases but the severity might not be as bad as what we saw before.
“These cases would mainly be in Categories One or Two and there will be fewer people admitted to hospital and requiring ICU care,” he stated in an interview.
Members of the general public, added Dr Raj, need to be continuously reminded that the pandemic is “not over”.
“Many people – whether in the endemic phase or in the transition to the endemic phase – can still get infected and die. We have many diseases in the world that are endemic and people are still dying from it. So, Covid-19 will be like that.
“It doesn’t mean that because the disease is in the endemic stage, its threat is over,” he stated, urging the general public to all the time be on guard towards new strains and to proceed carrying their face masks, practising social distancing and sanitising their fingers.
Malaysia started its transition to the endemic part on April 1, with the borders reopened, operation hours for companies not restricted and the SOP relaxed at homes of worship.
Between April 1 and 4, 252,730 travellers entered and left the nation and Covid-19 circumstances continued to see a downward pattern.
However, some states within the United States are starting to see will increase in case numbers, together with New York and Washington, DC, whereas Philadelphia is contemplating a return to indoor masks mandates subsequent week as circumstances rise.
In China, Shanghai’s 25 million residents are below lockdown after contemporary infections began to rise, recording over 20,000 circumstances final Friday.
Across a lot of Europe, circumstances surged final month after the extremely infectious BA.2 subvariant of Omicron started spreading however have began subsiding in some international locations equivalent to Germany and Denmark.
Volunteers For Community Engagement and Empowerment For Covid-19 chairman Datuk Dr Zainal Ariffin Omar believes that the nation is doing properly in managing the pandemic.
However, he stated Covid-19 infections are nonetheless excessive and circumstances may nonetheless rise as new variants would possibly come up.
Infections, he added, may surge for the reason that immunity ranges from the vaccines wane over time and there are nonetheless individuals who had but to take their boosters.
“Community interactions are high right now. Together with an increase in religious and social events, as well as the reopening of all economic sectors and international borders, including the relaxation and non-compliance with SOP, this will cause a rise in Covid-19 cases and may cause serious infections,” stated Dr Zainal.
On providing a second booster to the inhabitants, he stated the Health Ministry ought to consider the present scenario such because the immunity ranges following the primary booster.
Several international locations such because the United States and Britain have introduced {that a} fourth dose of an mRNA vaccine is advisable for sure teams like healthcare staff, immunocompromised people and folks over a sure age.
Dr Zainal agrees that the masks mandate ought to keep on in Malaysia however be relaxed a bit of, mentioning that Singapore had additionally made mask-wearing elective for outdoor.
“Masking should remain for certain places such as events in closed rooms, bazaar Ramadan and classrooms. Other places could be optional,” he stated.
Universiti Malaya Department of Social and Preventive Medicine Faculty of Medicine’s Prof Dr Moy Foong Ming stated the hospitalisation, ICU utilization and loss of life charges had been fairly secure and even improved barely regardless of each day Covid-19 circumstances fluctuating between 10,000 and 20,000 circumstances for the previous 9 days.
“This shows that the Covid-19 situation may not be getting worse, even though I feel there may be some under-reporting with the daily cases.
“This is because more of our relatives and friends are getting infected. But luckily with the high percentage of vaccination and booster shots, and the continuation of the mask mandate, we don’t really see a spike in hospitalisation, ICU usage and deaths,” she stated.
Dr Moy stated Europe and US had seen a rise in circumstances as they’d let go of all SOP on prime of vaccine hesitancy amongst sure teams.
“In Malaysia, if the surge in cases is not accompanied with an increased burden in the healthcare system and deaths, then we are on the right path to endemicity,” she stated.
