On schedule: Coordinating minister for the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme Khairy Jamaluddin has given assurance that Malaysia can achieve herd immunity by the end of the year. But until then we need to be vigilant and adhere to the SOP.
THE prevalence of sporadic Covid-19 transmissions shows that there are a lot more undetected positive cases well hidden and widespread among the population. This means that Malaysians must be extra vigilant and take additional precautions as infections can appear from any and all places.
On Thursday, the Health Ministry reported 6,806 new cases, the highest since the outbreak of the pandemic in March 2020.
Our healthcare system is currently dealing with more than 53,000 active cases with an overall death toll of 2,199, putting a huge strain not only on infrastructure – we are running out of ICU beds – but also on medical frontliners who have been giving their all for more than a year now.
Get tested if you have symptoms
Dr Helmy Haja Mydin, a respiratory physician at a Kuala Lumpur hospital, advises anyone with Covid-19-like symptoms to get tested for the virus as we can never be too cautious during a time of widespread transmissions.
“Get yourself tested if you develop symptoms. Especially as it is sporadic in the community and you don’t necessarily have to have that first degree contact in order to get yourself tested, ” he tells Sunday Star in a telephone interview.
Sporadic transmissions account for about 80% of the current Covid-19 cases in the country, said Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah earlier this month.
Sporadic cases refer to cases where the source of infection is not known, and the cases are not linked to any clusters.
Dr Helmy: Get yourself tested immediately if you develop symptoms to prevent sporadic infection.
According to Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba, 60% of the total number of Covid-19 cases recorded between January and April were sporadic, and that the states with the highest number of sporadic Covid-19 cases are Selangor and Johor as well as the federal territory of Kuala Lumpur.
“Lots of people still don’t seem to get themselves tested even when they develop symptoms like a sore throat or fever. They shrug it off and say it’s the usual cold. And then, a few days later they take a Covid-19 test and it turns out positive.
“But this also means that during that time, they have not been getting appropriate treatment and are potentially spreading it to others, ” Dr Helmy explains.
Those who have been in close contact with a positive case must not let their guard down, even if they initially test negative as not keeping to quarantine procedures may potentially endanger themselves and others.
“Some don’t seem to understand that even if you are negative at the point of testing, having been in close contact with a positive case, you must remain isolated for at least 10 days because you can turn positive at any time within those 10 days, ” says Dr Helmy.
Employers should also be proactive in their prevention measures without waiting for Health Ministry instructions, such as allowing work from home options, or conducting testing for their employees as soon as a positive case is discovered among their staff, says Dr Helmy.
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It is no understatement to say that the pandemic situation is serious.
Usage of critical and intensive care unit beds dedicated to treating Covid-19 patients is at 89% capacity in the Klang Valley and 74% nationwide.
More than 80% of designated Covid-19 ICU beds in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Kedah, Sarawak, and Negri Sembilan are being used.
These numbers underscore the importance of the national vaccination programme and the duty of all Malaysians to ensure its success.
As at Saturday, more than 1,500,000 people have received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. Just on Wednesday itself, more than 80,000 vaccine doses were administered. In total, more than 10.5 million people have registered for vaccination.
Coordinating minister for the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme Khairy Jamaluddin assured the public on Wednesday that Malaysia will be able to reach its goal of vaccinating 80% of the population by the end of the year as the rate of vaccination is expected to increase in the coming months as more doses arrive.
Role of employers
Dr Khayriyyah Mohd Hanafiah, a Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) researcher in epidemiology and control of infectious disease points out that this is an important time for the government and businesses to support employees and keep them safe.
“I think there’s been a lot of emphasis about what individuals can do.
“But employers, with the support of the government, can also play their part by ensuring that livelihoods are secured while encouraging work from home, ” she says, adding that employers can also facilitate access to vaccines for staff who still have to come in to work physically.
Dr Khayriyyah: Some of the successful elimination strategies include free and accessible testing.
Like Dr Helmy, Khayriyyah supports extra sick or vaccination leave days as a prudent measure for employers.
“Some of the successful elimination strategies, like in Australia for example, is that testing is made free and accessible to all, and the government has given quite a lot of stimulus to employers to ensure they can keep staff on even in times of sickness, or when they need to isolate or work from home during the lockdown, ” she says.
Keep immunity high
Dr Leow Chiuan Yee, a senior lecturer specialising in vaccinology and immunology at USM’s School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, advises everyone to keep their immunity high in addition to observing pandemic standard operating procedures.
Apart from staying at home, especially in areas under the movement control order and enhanced MCO, an important way to protect ourselves from sporadic infections is to build up our natural immunity.
“These are common things that we have to practice. Eat healthily, get enough rest and avoid getting stressed as stress can affect our immune system negatively, ” says Leow.
“We are allowed to exercise outdoors, so try to do physical things like jogging alone, ” he adds.
In terms of diet, it is advisable to reduce salt intake and avoid high cholesterol foods as they can prolong inflammatory reactions and affect our immune system. Leow also warns against smoking and advises the public to limit alcohol intake.
Dr Leow: Eat healthily, get enough rest and avoid stress to strengthen your immune system.
This is to ensure not just good physical health, but also mental and emotional wellbeing. In uncertain times like these, the best way to minimise risk is to stay at home. If someone has no alternative and must leave the house for work, SOP and social distancing must be strictly adhered to and not done half-heartedly.
“Malaysians need to have self-discipline and follow the SOP 100%. Many wear masks, but they leave it under their chins or expose their noses. Masks need to cover your nose and mouth for them to be effective, ” Leow says.
“The best option is to impose a lockdown like what we experienced during the first MCO in March last year. However, the government cannot do that as it needs to keep the economy running, ” says Leow.
Another alternative, says Leow, is to introduce targeted lockdowns.
“This is being practised in Australia and the United Kingdom, where targeted lockdowns are implemented for one or two weeks according to zones and areas that have seen a spike in cases, ” he explains.
