GEORGE TOWN: As the country moves to a Covid-19 endemic period, it is crucial to monitor severe cases and deaths instead of newly diagnosed infections, says Penang Hospital infectious disease unit head Datuk Dr Chow Ting Soo.
New infections during an endemic may not reflect the situation as not all cases will be tested, she said.
Dr Chow: ‘The new daily cases are not as reflective as it was before.’
“Currently, asymptomatic contacts and sporadic cases which are mild will not be tested because patients occasionally stay home without testing, so the new daily cases are not as reflective as it was before.
“It does not mean that the virus is manageable now. But when the vaccination rate reaches above 85% in general populations, we believe that severe cases will be fewer, hence the stress on the healthcare system will be more manageable,” she said.
Dr Chow said “endemic” meant that a particular disease is present in a community at all times but in relatively low frequency, adding that the cases may go up and cause an outbreak intermittently.
She said in handling normal flu cases, health workers routinely send samples to influenza like illness (ILI) sentinel sites for testing, to ensure that the prevalence of the disease is monitored, preparing the healthcare system if there is an outbreak.
“So I believe, once we enter the endemic phase for Covid-19, ILI sentinel sites will not only monitor influenza virus activity but also SARS-COV2 PCR testing in order to identify the disease activity continuously.”
Malaysians, she said, should learn to live with the virus and do self-tests as much as possible.
Besides observing standard operating procedure, she said the public should also practise good cough etiquette, hand hygiene and to stay away when sick to prevent a new wave of outbreak.
“Self-test kits are affordable now. Everyone should keep them at home all the time and try to get diagnosed as early as possible if you suspect you are infected,” she said.
Dr Lim: ‘It is crucial not to abandon preventive steps such as social distancing.’
She said currently the virus can’t be eradicated, so it is vital for the people to self-isolate and to get regular vaccinations. This is the time for employers to improve air circulation in the workplace and improve sanitisation in work areas.
Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital Infectious Diseases Physician Dr Steven Lim Chee Loon also said that it was crucial not to abandon preventive steps such as social distancing, masking, hand washing and having good ventilation as the country moves to the endemic stage.
All these measures have been scientifically proven to be effective in curbing the spread of Covid-19. The public has to adopt these preventive measures in a practical manner as the country resumes economic and social activities, he said.
“Our goals are no longer to achieve zero community infections, but to reach a compromise between returning to normalcy and bearing the potential health impact inflicted by Covid-19,” he said.
He said the public needs to learn to live with Covid-19 and steer clear of the culture of disinformation.
Amid starting a new normal routine, he said Malaysians must never let their guard down during the uncharted endemic period.