GEORGE TOWN: Most people will rejoice over the reopening of international borders on April 1 but health experts are advising the public to remain vigilant and not to let their guard down due to the threat the Covid-19 Omicron variant poses.
Penang Hospital infectious disease unit head Datuk Dr Chow Ting Soo said the public need to know the right steps to take to reduce the risk of being infected.
“As Malaysians, all of us are now tasked to be responsible and ensure that we know how to protect ourselves.
“We should know how to stay away when we’re sick, how to do self-tests and how not to spread the virus to others. This is all in our hands,” she said.
Dr Chow added that the country must accept that the coronavirus is here to stay.
“The strategy of locking down the country is no longer able to contain the spread of Covid-19.
“We have reached the mitigation phase and are transitioning to the endemic phase. We will continue to diagnose severe cases and treat them, and continue to treat those deemed as at high-risk to prevent them from getting severe Covid-19,” she said.
She said it was a good thing that masking in public areas was still mandatory.
“Universal masking will definitely reduce the spread,” she said, adding that as responsible citizens, Malaysians must also ensure that they are fully vaccinated and boosted.
“Continue to be vigilant against the disease,” she said.
Dr Chow, however, said it was too early to be fearful of new variants that could potentially be brought into the country by international travellers once Malaysia’s borders reopen.
She said a study on variants would first have to be conducted in the event they appear in the country.
“After April, of course one will be concerned with the possible emergence of new Covid-19 variants,” said Dr Chow.
“Some variants may be ‘of concern’, while some may be ‘of interest’. So, we will have to continue to do surveillance on circulating variants with whole-genome sequencing, especially when there is a big outbreak.”
Ipoh’s Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun infectious diseases physician Dr Steven Lim said after more than two years of the pandemic, the public can be expected to be wiser and more self-disciplined to curb the spread of Covid-19.
“The declaration of the transition into the endemic phase with the relaxed standard operating procedure might be misconceived by some that Covid-19 is no longer a threat. This would be a false assurance,” he said.
“With the impending relaxation of SOP at common places like eateries and places of worship, one must never compromise on proven preventive measures, which include physical distancing, mask-wearing, hand hygiene and avoidance of crowded or poorly ventilated areas.”
Dr Lim said as part of the new normal, the public has the advantage of using inexpensive and widely available rapid test kits to check their Covid-19 status when they feel unwell, or before going to the workplace or a social gathering.
“In truth, we are now relying more on individual discipline and social responsibility,” he said.
“Our actions (and inaction) in our day-to-day routine could affect each other and determine whether we transition to an endemic phase safely as a community.”
On the emergence of new variants, Dr Lim said this was inevitable as long as the virus continues to replicate and spread.
“Whether or not we reopen our country’s borders, new variants will eventually reach our shores as evidenced by Delta and Omicron,” he said.
“More importantly, we must have strict but practical screening measures in place for international travellers.
“Knowing the high sensitivity and specificity of the tests, RT-PCR tests prior to travelling and RTK antigen tests upon arrival in Malaysia should be able to detect acute Covid-19 infections among fully vaccinated foreign visitors,” Dr Lim said.
“Quarantine for travellers may not be practical and cost-effective as the number of visitors will be high once we reopen our borders,” he added.