Don’t panic but take care with Covid-19 spike

KLANG: Covid-19 has never left and is still lurking around.

"It's just that cases are not as many or serious as they used to be," said Selangor Health Department deputy director (public health) Dr Wan Noraini Wan Mohamed Noor.

On the recent increase in Covid-19 cases in the state and country, Dr Wan Noraini said the small spike was in tandem with global trends.

"This is due to winter in the northern hemisphere, which is seeing an increase not only in Covid-19 cases, but in all other respiratory-related conditions as well," she said when contacted.

As for the current increase in the number of cases here, Dr Wan Noraini said it was probably due to unrestricted movement given that geographical borders have long been open.

"There have also hardly been reports of any serious cases and infections are just coming and going like the common flu," she added.

Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah (HTAR) Klang director Dr Zulkarnain Mohd Rawi said although there was a spike in cases, the situation was not serious.

"There has been an increase in cases the past month, but we are not frightened of Covid-19 anymore.

"Everyone has been vaccinated and some people have become immune to the virus.

"And we also now have the required antiviral drugs to fight the infection," he said.

According to Dr Zulkarnain there were currently 16 patients admitted for Covid-19 at HTAR with three of them under Category 5, the most severe.

“Out of the three, one is being ventilated whilst another is on a high-flow oxygen mask.

"Usually cases like these come with comorbidities," he added.

He said out of the 13 remaining Covid-19 patients at HTAR, two were under Category 1 (the mildest), six under Category 2, one under Category 3 and four under Category 4.

When contacted, a private clinic in Subang Jaya said it has been receiving about three to four Covid-19 cases weekly.

Another clinic in Petaling Jaya said it was receiving at least two patients with Covid-19 daily.

Pharmacist Cynthia Lee, who manages Lee Pharmacy in Klang, said there was an increase in the sale of Covid-19 test kits from early this month.

"People who come to buy the kits seem to also be coughing very badly," she added. Malaysian Society of Infectious Diseases and Chemotherapy president Prof Dr Zamberi Sekawi said the small resurgence of Covid-19 infections was a common trend.

"It's a common pattern for small outbreaks of diseases such as Covid-19, and even the common flu, to take place here and there from time to time," he said.

Dr Zamberi added what was required now was for the relevant parties to observe, identify the locations, and mitigate the situation.