Don't take public health for granted, do what you can to stop the spread of Covid-19 - Health experts

SHAH ALAM - Health experts express concern over the recent surge in Covid-19 cases, urging the public to adopt preventive measures and get vaccinated.

During the 47th Epidemiological Week (ME 47/2023), which ran from Nov 19 to 25, 3,626 Covid-19 cases were reported.

This represents a 57.3 per cent increase over the 2,305 cases reported the week before.

According to the Health Director-General Datuk Dr Muhammad Radzi Abu Hassan, most cases (48 per cent) involve people between 20 and 40, and more than 98 per cent had only mild symptoms.

He stated that between ME 41/2023 and ME 47/2023, more than 1,000 cases of Covid-19 discovered per week, representing an increase of between 7.1 and 57.3 per cent.

Dr Radzi added there are already eight Covid-19 clusters that have been recorded, each involving 121 cases.

Prior to that, Universiti Malaya Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Professor Dr Moy Foong Ming said the community should practice all public health preventive measures to protect people from Covid-19 cases increasing.

She said the necessary precautionary steps include people practicing all Public Health preventive measures such as wearing masks, maintaining hand hygiene, avoiding crowded places, and other precautions to avoid being infected with Covid-19.

“The increase in Covid-19 cases may be due to the year-end and school holidays with more traveling among our people.

Shopping malls and tourist places also become more crowded, making Covid-19 transmit more easily,” Dr Moy told Sinar Daily when contacted today.

She urged those infected with Covid-19 to isolate themselves, and those with flu-like symptoms should wear masks when going out.

Infected individuals should also refrain from visiting the elderly and vulnerable groups until 10 days after infection.

Dr Moy also advised individuals with flu-like symptoms to test themselves and report in MySejahtera if they tested positive, isolating themselves so they don't infect their colleagues, friends, and family members.

Meanwhile, Taylor’s University School of Medicine Head and Public health specialist, Prof Dr Rusli Nordin expressed deep concern regarding the sudden surge in Covid-19 cases during the 47th Epidemiological Week, stressing the critical need for sustained vigilance and a proactive response to curtail the virus's transmission.

In addressing this surge, he also highlighted several precautionary steps that are deemed crucial, emphasising the vital importance of wearing masks, practicing meticulous hand hygiene, and maintaining physical distancing.

Encouraging the use of well-fitted masks, especially in crowded settings, becomes paramount.

Dr Rusli also advocated promoting and facilitating vaccination campaigns, which are essential to ensure a higher percentage of the population is fully vaccinated, thereby reducing severe illness, hospitalisations, and fatalities.

“Enhanced testing and contact tracing are vital.

"This is to increase testing capacity to promptly identify and isolate cases where efficient contact tracing is essential to break the chains of transmission.

"Launch comprehensive public awareness campaigns to educate the community about the importance of adhering to health guidelines and use various communication channels to reach a wide audience.

"Consider implementing targeted restrictions on high-risk activities or areas where the virus is spreading rapidly.

"This may include limiting the size of gatherings, temporarily closing certain venues, or adjusting working arrangements,” he said.

Dr Rusli supported collective action to tackle the recent spike in Covid-19 cases.

He said cooperation from every individual is crucial in slowing the virus's spread and protecting the community's well-being.

The key actions include adhering to public health guidelines, getting vaccinated, staying informed on the latest guidelines, and supporting one another, particularly those who may need assistance.

“Let's all do our part to bring down the number of cases and protect the health and well-being of our community,” he added.