WHILE the severity of a Covid-19 infection is now low, there is still a small group of people for whom the infection can cause severe disease.
This group includes the elderly, those whose immune system is low and those who have multiple medical problems.
Unfortunately, these people are also affected by the general reluctance of the population to get booster doses and this will result in preventable deaths due to Covid-19 in the population.
In Dec last year, Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said that less than half, or 49.8 per cent of the population have received the first booster dose while only 1.9 per cent took up the second booster.
Infectious disease consultant and head of the department of medicine at Hospital Sungai Buloh, Datuk Dr Suresh Kumar Chidambaram says besides vaccine fatigue in the general population, there are still many unverified adverse events (related to vaccines) being reported in social media and this makes people scared to subject themselves to another round of vaccination.
And given that the number of Covid-19 cases and mortality rates in the country have dropped significantly, people are less scared and worried about contracting the infection.
With the shift towards endemicity and many people returning to normal routines, complacency has set in too. Many Malaysians don't wear masks anymore or even bother testing themselves, even if they exhibit symptoms which could be Covid-19.
Dr Suresh says in Malaysia, like in several other countries, public health measures such as the use of masks and social distancing are being practised less. This is understandable given low Covid-19 numbers.
But in circumstances like these we still need to have civic consciousness, he stresses.
"We need to continue to encourage healthy behaviour – isolate yourself if you feel sick and perform a self-test."
Dr Suresh adds that while the SARS-CoV-2 virus has been unpredictable so far, with the passing time, it is more difficult for the virus to change/mutate to escape population immunity and at the same time retain its capability to cause severe disease.
But we cannot completely rule out the possibility of a new more virulent strain in the years to come.
"As the number of infections lessen and a long time period passes since we had our vaccinations, population immunity will start to wane. This will make it easier for a new strain to spread."
On Jan 27, the World Health Organisation (WHO) announced that Covid -19 is still a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) or global health emergency.
Following the announcement, the Director-General of WHO reminded all member countries including Malaysia, to continue strengthening control of Covid-19 infections.
Dr Suresh says in addition to the government's efforts to curb Covid-19, individuals also need to remain vigilant and practise preventive measures to protect themselves.
In response to WHO's call and also to support the efforts of the Ministry of Health (MOH), the Malaysian Society of Infection Control and Infectious Diseases (MyICID) in collaboration with the Malaysian Family Medicine Specialists' Association (FMSA) and the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA), have launched an educational campaign called "Covid-19: Quickly Test and Treat / Cepat Uji dan Rawat".
The campaign encourages the public, especially high-risk groups such as those with chronic illnesses, to continue to undergo testing and receive treatment for Covid-19.
The campaign also supports and promotes the latest recommendations from MOH on Covid -19 as follows:
* Getting Covid-19 vaccination and booster shots.
*Conducting Covid-19 tests if one has symptoms.
*Seeking early treatment – within 5 days after symptom onset.
Dr Suresh says it is high time to remind everyone that the virus is still here and it still poses a threat to our health, especially those who are in the high-risk category. Furthermore, since mobility and social activities are now back to normal, the spread of respiratory and infectious diseases could increase.
Currently, hospitals in Malaysia are not only treating and managing Covid-19 but also other infectious diseases, he explains. The public should remain vigilant against Covid-19 and safeguard themselves against the disease by following MOH's current recommendations.
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