Virologist: Stay vigilant during the school break
Mask up: Doctors are advising vigilance, urging mask wear and hand sanitising. — LIM BENG TATT/The Star
GEORGE TOWN: Malaysians have been urged to remain vigilant of Covid-19, especially during the coming school holidays.
Virologist Dr Kumitaa Theva Das said usually, cases would hike when there are large gatherings, as the phenomenon increases the chances of the spread of the virus.
'For example, the spike in Thailand was attributed to the Songkran Festival in April.
'But since this JN.1 variant has been circulating for a while, we are not going to see 20,000 cases a day despite the school holidays,' she said.
Dr Kumitaa, who is with Universiti Sains Malaysia, said the country's healthcare providers were also not expected to be overwhelmed.
Experts surmise that JN.1, a descendant of the Omicron lineage, emerged two years ago in several countries, including Malaysia.
She said the current spike in neighbouring countries, like Singapore, was due to the LF.7 and NB.1.8 variants, which are offshoots of JN.1. She said LF.7 was actually detected in Malaysia middle of last year.
'This means that many people may have been infected with it in the past and have immunity against it,' she said.
She added that the public should always practice caution at all times and wear masks if necessary.
'If you have young children or elderly in your family, wearing a mask will help keep you safe, especially for the high-risk groups,' Dr Kumitaa said.
Penang Hospital's infectious disease unit head Datuk Dr Chow Ting Soo said it was important for people not to drop their guard.
'We should always practice good cough etiquette and avoid public spaces when down with respiratory illnesses,' she said.
Dr Chow said wearing masks and avoiding crowded areas were a must if one is immunocompromised or elderly.
She also urged people to adopt proper hygiene practices and get their annual vaccinations.
'Now, we have the Covid-19 vaccine available at government health clinics. The elderly and those with comorbidities can get their appointments via the MySejahtera app,' she said.
State health director Datuk Dr Fazilah Shaik Allaudin said that, according to the latest announcement from the Health Ministry on May 16, all states in Malaysia reported Covid-19 cases that fell below the warning threshold for the period spanning Epidemiological Week (EW) 16 to EW19/2025, which includes Penang.
She said the ministry would continue to monitor the Covid-19 situation and will implement suitable preventative measures based on the current risk assessment.
In Kedah, health committee chairman Mansor Zakaria said the situation was also under control. 'Cases recorded are not serious, and there is no indication that there will be an increase,' he said.
Schools around the country will take a one-week break from May 29 to June 9.
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