Please do not lift mask mandate yet

THE government has declared that we are in the transition phase to becoming endemic, and are gradually lifting restrictions. Many other countries have already lifted certain restrictions, including the mask mandate.

However, the World Health Organisation has repeatedly expressed caution that “endemic” does not necessarily mean better or milder, and that the pandemic is not over yet. New variants of concern may emerge and some may have a greater ability to evade the protection that vaccines currently offer.

We must learn from other countries that have removed most restrictions, especially the mask mandate. The experience from Europe and the United Kingdom is of concern. When restrictions including the mask mandate were lifted, hospitalisations rose, especially among children.

There is also a growing body of evidence showing the serious effects of long Covid and the long-term health impacts of getting a Covid-19 infection even in those who are fully vaccinated. While vaccination reduces the risk of long Covid by approximately 50%, it does not remove it completely. Long Covid can be devastating, and many scientists are now warning about the burden of disability that will come with this pandemic.

Our movement to an endemic phase with relaxation of restrictions and less testing has made many Malaysians relax their guard. As such, we are seeing more domestic tourism, large groups eating together and packed bazaars.

It is very likely that we will have a significant increase in the number of cases and hospitalisation in the coming weeks. The virus is probably spreading now. Children under five years of age who cannot currently be vaccinated, and those aged five to 11 years who have yet to be vaccinated would probably be most affected by the next wave. We can see this in the increased number of deaths of children in the recent wave and the huge number of school clusters occurring now.

In addition, older persons, the disabled and those with chronic illnesses (comorbidities) who have yet to receive a booster dose will be at higher risk of hospitalisation and death.

Every death due to Covid-19 is a tragedy and possibly avoidable. Behind every death are eight to 10 or more grieving family members and relatives. The death of a child due to Covid-19 is an unimaginable trauma for parents and families, who are often scarred for life.

I would ask that we move forward cautiously. We must constantly review the data and anticipate the impact of what is coming. For example, the Omicron sub-variants are harmful to children under 10 years of age, as seen from Hong Kong and UK data.

We must continue to protect children and vulnerable adults, and we must do this together as a community. We must not remove our mask mandate. In fact, the data supports that we should upgrade our face mask quality, including for children.

We should all be using reliable (not fake) FFP2/KF94 masks. We need to use masks in ALL indoor facilities, while using public transport and at any crowded outdoor venue.

Please remember that while vaccinations have helped extensively, the pandemic has yet to come to an end. We have just come out of one wave and might soon be in another.

DATUK DR AMAR-SINGH HSS

Consultant paediatrician

Ipoh