New Covid-19 infection wave may emerge sooner than forecast
Senior citizens and individuals with chronic illnesses have been reminded to take their second Covid-19 booster shots as a potential new Covid-19 infection wave may emerge sooner than forecast, says the Health Minister.
Khairy Jamaluddin said this was based on the number of cases reported in recent days both here and across the Causeway.
“Over the past two to three days we have been reporting more than 2,000 cases a day against 1,000 and 2,000 previously.
“Today (Thursday), we have 2,796 cases with two new clusters reported at institutions of higher learning.
“So if we are not cautious, the cases will keep on increasing in the coming weeks,” he told reporters after officially opening the otorhinolaryngology centre and sleep lab at Hospital Rembau.
On Tuesday, Khairy said Covid-19 cases would fluctuate and a potential new infection wave might emerge in the next few months, despite the current situation being under control.
He said Malaysians ought to know the latest developments so that they can take preventive measures against contracting the virus.
Young
patients: Khairy visiting a ward for children with hearing problems
after officially opening the otorhinolaryngology centre and sleep lab at
Hospital Rembau. — Bernama
“This is more of a preventive measure so that we are ready and not to scare anyone. In fact, other nations have faced a similar situation,” he said.
Khairy said what was important was that the new wave was not as contagious and that the number of deaths and admissions into intensive care units remained low.
He said all states except Selangor, Johor, Kedah and Terengganu have reported an increase in the number of cases compared with the previous day while two new higher education clusters have also been reported.
“It is also my hope that those above 60 and those with chronic illnesses will take the second booster shot as this is the best way to keep them safe,” he said.
As of June 20, almost 108,000 individuals aged 12 years and above have received their second Covid-19 booster jabs. About 58,000 were aged above 60.
Khairy said he was also closely following the Covid-19 situation in Singapore.
“I have to do so because Malaysia and Singapore are in the same epidemiological area with no travel restrictions and hundreds of thousands crossing the Causeway daily.
“My Singapore counterpart has also told me that the republic has been seeing more BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron subvariants which were more transmissible than earlier variants,” he said, adding that these variants, however, had the same effect as other Omicron variants.
The CDC has approved a second COVID-19 booster for people age 50 and older that can be given 4 months after a first booster. People with moderate to severe ..
Human's gut virus composition is as unique as a fingerprint: Study
What is the gut microbiome?
How the food you eat affects your gut - Shilpa Ravella
How the food you eat affects your brain - Mia Nacamulli
Lee’s work titled “The gut virome in two indigenous populations from Malaysia” has been published in the prestigious Nature publication, Scientific Reports.
“The sole purpose of a virus’s life is to multiply, but the irony is that it cannot multiply on its own.”
VIRUSES have been in our lives and newsfeeds almost incessantly in the last two years. We have been double-jabbed and masked for much of this time in an effort to avoid the SARS-CoV-2 virus. As we have learnt, these steps can help limit the spread of Covid-19 and help us avoid infection.
But can we avoid viruses entirely? The simple answer is no.
The sole purpose of a virus’s life is to multiply, but the irony is that it cannot multiply on its own.
Instead, viruses must rely on the cellular machinery from more advanced forms of life – bacteria, plants or animals.
How many viruses in total are there in the world at any time? An estimated ten nonillion (1031) is the figure that has been bandied about – a number so enormous that we cannot truly appreciate what it means.
There are so many types of viruses occupying so many different hosts and ecosystems that we have no idea of how many categories of viruses there are.
Humans carry an astronomical number of viruses all the time. These viruses do not kill us because their targets are the billions of bacteria that reside in our bodies, principally in the gut.
A recent paper from Chuen Zhang Lee, an Honours student at Monash University Malaysia, reports progress in identifying bacterial viruses in our guts by using human faeces as the starting material. Lee used faecal matter from two Malaysian Orang Asli groups, the Jehai and the Jakun, to show that the viruses they contain are different from viruses in more frequently studied groups, such as Europeans or Chinese.
Lee enriched the viruses in the faeces (as an indicator, of what is actually in the gut) away from all the yucky material, bacterial cells and human cells and extracted the genetic material from this virus enriched material.
The viral DNA was then sequenced at the Monash University Malaysia Genomics Facility using a technique that allows one to read long stretches of DNA.
Muhammad Zarul Hanifah, who works at the Genomics Facility, assisted Lee in analysing his data.
Using this method, Lee recognised approximately half the DNA as coming from known viruses. Based on the viruses he found, he could identify what some of the sample-givers had consumed and their lifestyle and environment.He also identified some of the bacteria in our guts these viruses could attack and therefore, get a partial picture of what types of bacteria could be in our guts.
These results start to build up a picture of how our gut health is determined, which can significantly determine our overall health. It is clear that viruses may also have a role in determining gut health – a complex topic.
Lee was supervised by a group of researchers including Prof Maude Phipps from the Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dr Jeremy Barr from Monash University School of Biological Sciences and Prof Qasim Ayub, Prof Sunil Lal and Prof Sadequr Rahman from the School of Science.
Lee’s work titled “The gut virome in two indigenous populations from Malaysia” has been published in the prestigious Nature publication, Scientific Reports.
Viruses are clearly ‘cool’ and ‘hot’ right now, and are likely to remain that way for a long time. We look forward to furthering discoveries on viruses and insights into how they can be used to our benefit.
To know more about the programmes offered by the School of Science, Monash University Malaysia, visit www.monash.edu. my/science. Alternatively, visit www.monash.edu.my for more information.
Native Americans, refugees from US-initiated wars, Floyds and children separated from their parents at the border will remember
the US as the greatest “human ...
The masks covering the true face of the US were taken off one after another through the seven stories the Global Times had published over the course of the past few weeks. These masks are engraved with words such as peace, liberty, security, unity, science, humanity, and global order, hiding the country's true visage that has been distorted with lust, greed, and subjugation.
The masks covering the true face of the US have been removed one after another through the seven investigative stories the
Global Times published over the course of the past few weeks. These masks are engraved with beautiful words such as peace, liberty,
security, unity, science, humanity, and global order, hiding the country's true visage distorted with lust, greed, and subjugation.
Fanning the flames to create turmoil, using economic and financial hegemony to sanction opponents, and forming cliques to create
political isolation - the US is using its hegemony to undermine the international order.
In fact, the US government's approach is quite similar to Voldemort's - they both believe in power, recruit followers, use violence, and repeatedly want to kill competitors in order to maintain supremacy.
Albatross,
famous migratory bird, is also a love bird. It is known for being monogamous, forming long-term bond with one partner that is rarely broken. Mated pairs never split up until one bird dies.
The proceedings of the Security Council conference on April 6 are in the public domain and are accessible. See the video below:
The UN Security Council held an extraordinary event on April 6 under the rubric Arria Formula Meeting on Biological Security regarding the biological activities in countries including Ukraine. Predictably, the U.S. and UK representatives didn’t show up at the event and the western media also blacked out the proceedings. But that does not detract from the profound significance of what transpired.
The highlight of the Security Council proceedings lasting over two hours was the disclosure by General Igor Kirillov, chief of the Radiation, Chemical and Biological Defense Forces of the Russian Armed Forces, that Washington is creating biological laboratories in different countries and connecting them to a unified system.
He said the U.S. has spent more than $5 billion on military biological programs since 2005 and detailed that in territories bordering Russia and China alone, about 60 facilities have been modernised during this period. The Ukrainian network of laboratories is designed to conduct research and monitor the biological situation consisting of 30 facilities in 14 populated locations.
Highly sensitive materials from the Ukrainian biological laboratories were exported to the U.S. in early February just before the Russian special operation began, and the rest were ordered to be destroyed lest they fell into Russian hands. But the cover-up was only partially successful. Indeed, Russia is in possession of highly incriminating evidence.
Previously also, Russia had released a number of documents related to the biological military activities of the Pentagon, which pointed toward a worldwide project to set up biological laboratories in rival countries with the goal of developing targeted viral weapons against those countries.
Russia has made specific allegations, pointing finger at:
Pentagon funding for the bio-labs in Ukraine;
Location of these bio-labs(not only in Ukraine but in 36 countries around the world);
Diseases and epidemics on which research work is going on, focusing
on the means for their release, the countries where they are being
tested (even without the knowledge of the governments of these
countries); and, of course,
Experiments relating to coronavirus (and bats used to transmit this virus).
However, the U.S. has so far point-blank refused to accept any supervision and verification of such incriminatory evidences and has stonewalled the demand for a verification mechanism. It is unlikely that the U.S. will permit an international verification process that holds the potential to expose it as indulging in crimes against humanity–although there are appropriate frameworks in place including the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) and the UN, to hear the clarifications from the relevant country in a fair and impartial manner.
A mind-boggling “discovery” that Russian forces in Ukraine stumbled upon is the use of numbered birds by the Pentagon-funded labs. This almost falls out of science fiction and Sir Alfred Hitchcock could have made an epic movie out of it where deception mixes with innocence and man’s cruelty to nature becomes unbearably grotesque. The project works like this:
To begin with, the Pentagon accesses the scientific data available with environmental specialists and zoologists after studying the migration of birds and observing them throughout the seasons, relating to the path these birds take each year on their seasonal journey from one country to another and even from one continent to another.
On the basis of this data, groups of migratory birds are caught, digitised and capsules of germs are attached to them that carry a chip to be controlled through computers.They birds are then released to the flock of the migratory birds in those target countries toward which the U.S. intelligence has malevolent intentions.
Of course, these migratory birds travel great distances. The wandering albatross, for instance, is known to migrate at least 8500 km eastward across the South Pacific to the coast of South America, and many shy albatrosses migrate westward across the Indian Ocean to the coast of South Africa.
During the long flight of the birds that have been digitised in the Pentagon bio-labs, their movement is monitored step by step by means of satellites and the exact locations are determined.The idea is that if the Biden Administration (or the CIA) has a requirement to inflict harm on, say, Russia or China (or India for that matter), the chip is destroyed when the bird is in their skies.
Plainly put, kill the bird carrying the epidemic. Sadly, my mind goes back to the novel by the American author Harper Lee To Kill a Mocking Bird, the haunting story of innocence destroyed by evil.
The Russians have made the shocking claim that they are actually in possession of such migratory birds digitised in the Pentagon’s bio-labs.
International law expressly forbids the numbering of migratory birds because they freely criss-cross the blue sky and air of other countries.By supplying them with germs, these birds become weapons of mass destruction. What human ingenuity! But the U.S. enjoys total immunity from international law.
The bottom line is that only the U.S. intelligence—and President Biden, perhaps, if he remembers—would know where all humans have been infected so far in this century by the Birds of Mass Destruction. Was Ebola that devastated Africa a test case and precursor of things to come?
What about COVID-19, which is known to have originated from funded laboratories that were administered by the U.S.? It is very likely that the U.S. might have used migratory birds to kill Chinese citizens. Clearly, the U.S. in its desperation to reverse its global decline is pulling out all the stops to restore its hegemony in a world order that is inexorably moving toward multipolarity.
Monthly Review does not necessarily adhere to all of the views conveyed in articles republished at MR Online. Our goal is to share a variety of left perspectives that we think our readers will find interesting or useful. —Eds.
A new kind of terrorism* - Numbered Bird strategy, which Russia accuses America !
For those who want to know what the numbered birds are... and how the United States kills the world without a single shot... I leave the information here:
*Birds of Mass Destruction*
Russia did not expect to discover, as part of its military campaign in Ukraine, numbered birds produced by biological and bacteriological laboratories in Ukraine financed and supervised by the US.
But what are the numbered birds?!
After studying the migration of birds and observing them throughout the seasons, environmental specialists and zoologists will be able to know the path these birds take each year on their seasonal journey, including those that travel from one country to another and even from one continent to others.
Here comes the role of the intelligence services of the parties that carry out a malevolent plan.
A group of these migratory birds are “detained”, digitized and provided with a capsule of germs that carry a chip to be controlled through computers. They are then released again to join migratory birds in countries where damage is planned.
These birds are known to take a route from the Baltic Sea and the Caspian Sea to the African continent and Southeast Asia,
as well as two other flights from Canada to Latin America in spring and autumn.
During its long flight, its movement is monitored step by step by means of satellites and its exact location is determined.
If they want, for example, to harm Syria or Egypt, the chip is destroyed when the bird is in their skies.
Kill the bird that falls carrying the epidemic. Thus, diseases spread in this or that country. In this way, the enemy country is harmed at no military, economic and political cost.
The numbering of migratory birds is considered a crime by international law, because they are birds that penetrate the sky and air of other countries.
If you supply them with germs, then this bird becomes a weapon of mass destruction.
Therefore, in international law, it is considered prohibited to use birds to launch deadly attacks against an opponent.
Anyone who commits such an immoral and inhumane act is punished.
The US does not tremble at any punishment, for no one dares to punish it. But they tremble before the stigma that will accompany their life and their complete exclusion as a credible country, even before their allies.
The Russians have a strong pressure card when they say they captured the birds.
This means that the Americans were caught with their hands in the dough, with all the details contained that prove the decisive condemnation.
This forces us to think about the possibility that all the viruses that have infected humans in this century, especially the last ones, such as the Ebola that affected Africa, anthrax, swine and avian flu, and currently Covid-19, all come from funded laboratories. and administered by the US.
And this is what prompted China to submit an urgent, serious and strict request to carry out an international investigation into the sudden emergence of the coronavirus.
It is very likely that the United States used migratory birds to kill Chinese citizens.
The serious thing is that the US scandals are on the rise.
*See also:*
Fox News: Washington has been funding laboratories in Ukraine for the investigation of "lethal pathogens" since at least 14 years
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi delivered a speech at the International Press Conference
1. This morning! Serious warning to the United States: China's nuclear weapons are created NOT for you to see! It's not that we're afraid of things, it's just that you're not qualified to see!
2. Wang Yi's answer: The virus is the common enemy of all mankind, it may appear at any time and any place, and China, like other countries, has been attacked by the new crown virus, and is a victim, not a perpetrator, let alone an "accomplice" of the virus. At that time, the H1N1 flu was first diagnosed in the United States and broke out in a large area, spreading to 214 countries and regions, resulting in nearly 200,000 deaths. In the 1980s, AIDS was first discovered in the United States and spread rapidly to the whole world, causing suffering to many people and families, and who sought compensation from the United States? In 2008, the financial turmoil that occurred in the United States, the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers, and eventually evolved into a global financial crisis, who demanded compensation from the United States? The United States must be clear that their enemy is the virus, not China.
3. Wang Yi went on to say: If Biden and Blinken and the like are not guilty of Senile rhapsody, then they should know that China is not the China that was trampled by the "Eight-Power Coalition", and China is not Iraq, not Venezuela, not Syria, not when you want to come, you can check it if you want. China is not afraid of things, but you are not qualified, you are not qualified! At the beginning of the epidemic, we took the initiative to invite WHO and Chinese experts to conduct joint inspections in the affected areas, and put forward preliminary inspection results on related issues such as the outbreak and spread of the new crown virus. The investigation request put forward by Trump is purely unreasonable and a manifestation of hegemonism. They have placed the United States above international organizations and over all of humanity, as if only they themselves are credible. But is the United States really credible? Iraq and Venezuela are the lessons of the past.
4, we have to warn Biden, if you want to play China's calculations, it is best to think about it and then say it. Because 1.4 billion people will not agree, China's 2 million troops are not decorations, but China's Great Wall of Steel. China's Dongfeng missiles are not used to hit rakes, but to hit dogs and jackals. China's nuclear submarines are not used to travel under the sea, but to combat uninvited guests. China's nuclear weapons are not used to scare anyone, but to defend themselves, and whoever wants to taste it, you tell me.
5. We want to warn Biden that if we want China to compensate, it will start from the time when the Eight-Power Alliance invaded China, until wang Yi just proposed these cases together. You first compensate the old historical accounts of China and the world.
6, now China is in a very good position in the world, the first to control the new crown pneumonia, the first to enter the stage of economic recovery, and now it is to increase the horsepower to export anti-epidemic materials to the world, China's time to catch up with the United States in the total economic volume is also greatly advanced, which is unacceptable to Biden, the United States has been dragged into the quagmire by Biden, this time Biden wants to make China, let the world be unhappy. The heart of harming people must not be there, the heart of preventing Biden must not be without, and the wicked have their own harvest!
I hope that every Chinese will be able to pass this article out and make our China stronger and stronger, supporting all patriotic groups.
Native Americans, refugees from US-initiated wars, Floyds and children separated from their parents at the border will remember
the US as the greatest “human ...
The masks covering the true face of the US were taken off one after another through the seven stories the Global Times had
published over the course of the past few weeks. These masks are engraved with words such as peace, liberty, security, unity, science, humanity, and global order, hiding the country's true visage that has been distorted with lust, greed, and subjugation.
The masks covering the true face of the US have been removed one after another through the seven investigative stories the
Global Times published over the course of the past few weeks. These masks are engraved with beautiful words such as peace, liberty, security, unity, science, humanity, and global order, hiding the country's true visage distorted with lust, greed, and subjugation.
Fanning the flames to create turmoil, using economic and financial hegemony to sanction opponents, and forming cliques to create
political isolation - the US is using its hegemony to undermine the international order.
In fact, the US government's approach is quite similar to Voldemort's - they both believe in power, recruit followers, use violence, and repeatedly want to kill competitors in order to maintain supremacy.
Khairy: Currently, the Comirnaty mRNA vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech) is the recommended vaccine for a second booster dose based on available scientific data. (Photo by Zahid Izzani Mohd Said/The Edge)
KUALA LUMPUR (April 14): Senior citizens with high-risk comorbidities are eligible to receive a second Covid-19 booster shot four to six months after their first booster dose, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said on Thursday.
Khairy also said that severely immunocompromised individuals aged 12 and above may receive their first booster jab within 28 days of receiving the second Covid-19 vaccine.
"It is not mandatory but optional, and it will be made through appointments," he told a press conference.
Khairy said those aged 60 and above who are healthy and not at risk for comorbidities should discuss with their doctor whether a second booster vaccination would be recommended for them.
Meanwhile, senior citizens who have received a booster vaccination and have tested positive for Covid-19 can receive a second booster vaccination three months after their full recovery, he said.
The minister said Pfizer-BioNTech Comirnaty's vaccine is the recommended vaccine for a second booster dose based on scientific data available.
On the booster shot for teenagers, Khairy said: "We leave it to the parents to talk to medical practitioners to make a decision. There is no coercion."
The minister said the implementation of this latest recommendation will not affect the full vaccination status of high-risk individuals who do not receive a second booster dose. The Health Ministry is currently updating clinical guidelines detailing implementation, he said.
Khairy said the ministry has also received requests from individuals who want to travel abroad to receive a second booster dose to meet the travel requirements.
"For example, there are some countries in continental Europe that do not recognise Sinovac and Sinopharm vaccines as first and booster doses," he said.
"Therefore, people who want to go abroad can receive a second booster dose at least one month apart after the first booster dose to meet the requirements of going abroad," he said.
As of March 31, a total of 701 individuals had received digital certificates of exemption from vaccination for medical reasons.
These individuals will also automatically receive a booster vaccination exemption.
"Individuals who are not eligible for a booster vaccination for medical reasons, especially the primary Sinovac or Sinopharm recipients or senior citizens who have not yet received a digital vaccination exemption certificate will need to submit a new application.
"They must obtain confirmation from a medical practitioner and then submit an application to the nearest district health department," said Khairy.
PETALING JAYA: Feeling boosted by the protection offered by the vaccine, many Covid-19-conscious senior citizens say they are receptive to taking a fourth dose.
Leong King Soon, 62, and his wife Barbara Teoh, 60, have hypertension and diabetes respectively and with their comorbidities, they are among the senior citizens now eligible to get a fourth shot of the Covid-19 vaccine.
Leong, who took his first booster in December, said he and his wife have so far not contracted Covid-19.
“I have been in close contact with Covid-19 individuals many times as I work as an industrial machine repairman and go to many factories for my job but so far so good.
“Besides taking the standard operating procedure seriously such as wearing a face mask and frequently washing hands, I really think that the three doses of the Covid-19 vaccine I took have kept me protected until now.
“So when the time comes for the fourth dose, I will definitely go get it with my wife,” said Leong.
He added that Teoh, too, had been in close contact unwittingly with Covid-19-positive friends and relatives but she has also been safe so far.
“She only took her first booster last month as she was ill over the past few months and needed her doctor’s clearance,” added Leong.
On Thursday, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said senior citizens with comorbidities can get the fourth shot between four and six months after their first booster, while seniors without comorbidities can get a second booster provided they get approval from their doctor.
Seniors who have received their booster dose but have been infected with Covid-19 will be eligible for a fourth shot three months after they recover.
Leong had this to say: “Get the booster for your own protection and ignore all the negative stories that you hear. People don’t remember the positive stories but like to hang on to the negative ones.”
Trader Saifuddin Omar, 67, who has diabetes and hypertension, also believes that the Covid-19 vaccine he took has protected him from the virus.
“Recently, my daughter and her son, who live with me, got infected but they didn’t know until five days later. We all share the same bathroom and eat at the same table but my wife and I didn’t get infected.
“My daughter and grandson (aged eight) are fully vaccinated and only suffered mild symptoms,” he said.
Saifuddin recalled initially feeling scared last year about taking the vaccine after hearing stories about the side effects.
“But now I see that it does help, I feel encouraged to take the fourth dose of the vaccine and will do so soon,” said Saifuddin, adding that he and his wife had their first booster in January.
Retired teacher B. Parimala, 63, does not have any comorbidities and took her first booster last year.
While seniors without comorbidities can get a second booster with their doctor’s approval, Parimala said she would rather wait.
“I was a science teacher so I keep up to date with the latest news about the vaccine.
“I recently read that boosting too often and with the same type of vaccine could reduce one’s immunity, especially against new variants.
“So I’d rather wait than go for the second booster now,” she said.
Parimala, too, warned against adopting a lackadaisical attitude towards Covid-19.
“Long Covid is no joke. My former colleague has such bad scarring on her lungs that she gets winded just walking a short distance. We should all continue to keep ourselves protected,” she said.
`
As Malaysia transitions into the endemic phase, the government will cut down the Covid-19 standard operating procedure (SOP) from the existing 181 to just one. `
Senior Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, who heads the Ministerial Quartet, said the one SOP contains 10 requirements that will continue to be enforced under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 (Act 342).
`
` The 10 requirements under the one SOP are: `
1. Wear a face mask when in public `
2. Operation hours must adhere to the permit or licence `
3. Maintain hand hygiene `
4. Perform Covid-19 tests according to the National Testing Strategy `
5. Manage suspected or confirmed Covid-19 cases according to the Health Ministry’s guidelines `
6. Use MySejahtera and MySJTrace for admission registration `
7. Ensure physical distancing of one metre `
8. Ensure a good ventilation system `
9. Ensure the cleanliness of premises `
10. Comply with the vaccination requirements for various activities `
The 10 requirements include the need to wear face masks and to practise physical distancing. `
“In essence, this one SOP for the ‘Transition to Endemicity’ phase has been simplified from the 181 SOP that was enforced under the National Recovery Plan. `
“This one SOP will be enforced under Act 342 from April 1. `
“All 10 requirements have been practised by the public throughout the pandemic. I believe everyone can adhere to it,” he said yesterday. `
Hishammuddin said besides the one SOP, there would also be nine guidelines for the public to follow. `
These would not be enforced, but the people would be encouraged to adhere to them to lower the risk of infection. `
“Each of the guidelines will explain how to conduct Covid-19 risk assessments and how to practise the SOP properly for the different activities,” he said. `
The guidelines cover activities related to transportation and travel; education and care; retail, food and beverage; closed workspaces; open workspaces; events, ceremonies, entertainment and tourist attractions; hotels and guest accommodations; religious events, weddings and funerals; and sports, recreation and leisure. `
He said the SOP and nine guidelines of the Transition to Endemicity phase would be published on a website that could be accessed two weeks before April 1.
You are rawr-some: A person in a dinosaur costume checking in on children waiting their turn and receiving the Covid-19 vaccine jab at a vaccination centre in Kota Damansara. — AZHAR
MAHFOF/The Star
Health experts are calling on Malaysia to fine-tune its Covid-19 mitigation strategies to cope with the Omicron surge as the nation braces itself for the wave of cases, which is expected to last some weeks. `
This comes as Malaysia recorded over 10,000 cases over the past 24 hours, something which it had not seen since October. `
Epidemiologist Dr Sanjay Rampal warned that the peak of this new wave of Covid-19 cases would be felt in the coming two or three months. `
He explained that the reason for this could be due to the community transmission of the Omicron strain and decreased health seeking behaviour following the floods at the end of last year. `
“If the recent increase is due to the Omicron strain, I believe that could breach the 20,000 daily cases in four weeks,” he said when contacted yesterday. `
The Health Ministry had also predicted that Malaysia’s Covid-19 cases would continue to show an upwards trend in the coming weeks. `
However, following the precedent in other countries like South Africa, Britain and the United States, where the strain had peaked and ebbed, the surge was likely to last weeks and not months. `
For example, according to Our World in Data, the number of new cases recorded in Britain were over 847,371 on Jan 31 but this had fallen drastically to over 60,114 by Feb 5. `
Similarly, new cases in South Africa peaked at 26,389 on Dec 15 but had fallen to 8,078 cases by Jan 4. On Feb 5, there were 6,135 cases. `
Health authorities, said Rampal, could manage the coming Omicron wave by getting ready the country’s public health services, testing facilities, and primary health care facilities to cope with the possible exponential increase in demand for prevention activities. `
“A failure to plan for surge capacity at the district level will lead to our public health services being overwhelmed and higher levels of Covid-19 community transmission. `
“Although the stress to our hospitals will be relatively lower in this new wave, I expect a very much higher demand for primary health care services,” he added. `
Immunologist Datuk Dr Musa Nordin said the Health Minister would need to take a proactive stance and sound the clarion call to counter the onslaught of Omicron by reactivating the Covid-19 National Task Force (NTF). `
Originally known as the Greater Klang Valley Special Covid-19 Task Force (GKVSTF), the NTF is made up of an inclusive, coordinated multi-agency or sectorial team with varying expertise in pandemic management. `
“The GKVSTF had successfully flattened the Delta curve when earlier efforts, including MCOs and Emergency Ordinances (EO), failed, causing critical case numbers to spike in July last year, resulting in a total collapse of health care services, and a catastrophic number of deaths,” said Dr Musa. `
He also noted that the entire workflow involving district hospitals, quarantine centres, government and private hospitals must be comprehensively addressed, with the implementation of an end-to-end automated outbreak management system. `
“Omicron has also taken a toll on health care workers with many falling sick. It is important that our health care workers are all boosted with mRNA vaccines to ensure that we are not short-staffed when Omicron really hits us. `
“There is no need to reinvent the wheel. We have a working model (GKVTF) and modus operandi that successfully dealt with the Delta wave,” he suggested. `
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia health economics, hospital and health management’s Prof Dr Sharifa Ezat Wan Puteh said if proper mitigation plans were not implemented by the relevant authorities, the numbers would continue to go up in the next few weeks. `
“I would strongly urge the authorities to come up with a proper mitigation plan to address this. `
“I am not saying that they should implement a full movement control order because of its adverse impact including to the economy. But they can implement measures, such as enhanced movement control orders, in certain high risk areas, and re-look at prevention plans to limit movement in public areas like offices and schools,” she said. `
“Those who are able to work from home can continue to do so or perhaps employers can consider implementing a hybrid working arrangement,” she said. `
Although Omicron cases were reportedly less severe, Dr Sharifa Ezat urged everyone not to take the situation for granted due to the rapid transmission. `
“It is true that we should not panic but if we don’t do anything, the situation will worsen as fatalities are still being recorded,” she said. `
On whether the numbers would continue to climb, Universiti Putra Malaysia medical epidemiologist Assoc Prof Dr Malina Osman believes this will largely depend on the public’s commitment to adhere to all the standard operating procedures (SOP). `
“I think the community should play a role as well and help our frontliners from being further overburdened by practising all the SOP,” she said. `
In other countries, including Denmark and Britain, governments have announced plans to lift all their domestic Covid-19 restrictions with Omicron not being categorised “as a severe disease for the vaccinated”. `
However, face coverings are still required in healthcare settings, including hospitals, and on public transport. `
Covid passes are also not required for large events and at public venues, and people are no longer being advised to work from home.
