Or Vandine, secretary of state and spokeswoman for the Ministry of Health, said that although the new Omicron variant had been detected in neighbouring countries, it was not yet present in Cambodia. - Phnom Penh Post/ANN
PHNOM PENH, July 25 (Phnom Penh Post/ANN): A top health official has called on people to be extra vigilant in protecting themselves from the spread of Covid-19, as another sub-variant of Omicron – known as BA2.75 – has been detected in Thailand.
Or Vandine, secretary of state and spokeswoman for the Ministry of Health, said that although it had been detected in the neighbouring country, it was not yet present in Cambodia.
“It’s a new strain of the BA.2 sub-variants, but still a form of Covid-19. According to early analysis, this sub-variant is more aggressive and transmissible than earlier ones,” she said.
Vandine, who is also head of the national Covid-19 vaccination committee, noted that no detailed research had yet been carried out.
“There is the possibility of this variant developing, and we do not know how far it will go. So I urge everyone to remain vigilant, and please make sure that your vaccinations are up to date,” she said.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), even though most people recover completely from Covid-19, evidence shows that between 10 and 20 per cent of them will suffer long-term side effects from the virus.
Vandine said: “Recently, the WHO announced that there were more than a million people globally who had recovered from Covid-19 but were still suffering health problems. It is still unclear how long they may last.”
The long-lasting side effects vary from patient to patient, but included frequent headaches, insomnia, fatigue, and some loss of libido, she said.
She added that many people who suffered from Covid-19 also had psychological problems.
According to the WHO study, between 25 and 30 per cent of Covid-19 patients had struggled with their mental health.
As of July 23, the Covid-19 vaccination rate in Cambodia had reached 94.49 per cent of the country’s estimated population of 16 million.
More than 9.6 million people have so far received their third dose, more than 3.3 million their fourth and over 430,000 their fifth.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health on Monday (July 25) reported 24 new Covid-19 community cases.
The ministry also reported 10 more recoveries.
As of July 25, Cambodia had recorded a total of 136,612 Covid-19 cases with 133,408 recoveries and 3,056 fatalities. - Phnom Penh Post/ANN
