KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry is closely monitoring the spread of the new Covid-19 variant, XFG, despite the country being in the endemic phase.
Its minister, Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, said that the XFG subvariant of Omicron was not considered worrying in terms of virulence, with only one death recorded so far.
"This variant does not cause more severe symptoms compared with other Omicron strains. Although its transmission rate is higher, it is not linked to increased disease severity,” he told a press conference here on Saturday (Sept 20).
Dzulkefly said the XFG subvariant recorded a contagiousness rate of 9.1 per cent, compared with 17.4 per cent for GM1 and 12.7 per cent for XEC.
"All of these subvariants are being closely monitored by the ministry, through genomic sequencing, to enable proactive action should an outbreak occur,” he said.
He added that the ministry and the Crisis Preparedness and Response Centre (CPRC) remained on alert and were not taking the current situation lightly.
"We do not want to cause panic, but those with symptoms should seek immediate treatment. So far, no major outbreaks have been reported, only isolated cases. Most involved common symptoms, such as respiratory distress, without any unusual or severe signs,” he said.
Meanwhile, commenting on a recent altercation at a food outlet in Shah Alam, involving a pregnant woman and a man, reportedly triggered by smoking in a public place, Dzulkefly said that the case is under police investigation.
"We do not want such incidents to recur. Smokers must respect the law - while they are allowed to smoke, they must also ensure their smoke does not affect vulnerable groups such as pregnant women, children and the elderly,” he said.
Recently, a video showing a man fighting with a couple at a restaurant in Section 7, Shah Alam, went viral, allegedly after he was reprimanded for smoking on the premises.
Last Thursday, the media reported that the 49-year-old man was arrested at Persiaran Kayangan, Section 9, after returning from Thailand.- Bernama
