Dr Musa Mohd Nordin
The US and Europe are seeing record numbers of COVID-19 patients,mostly due to the Omicron variant. Unlike the earlier waves, the COVID-19 patients are somewhat less sick, suggesting that the Omicron variant is very contagious but milder in causing disease severity.
The ones getting sicker, short of breath, requiring oxygen and may require hospital admissions are the ones who are unvaccinated or who have an underlying illness, for example an NCD. For example a diabetic patient may be triggered into ketoacidosis, a serious condition requiring hospital care
The sheer numbers alone infected by Omicron may tip more into requiring visits to the ER and requiring hospitalisations. In fact, the US and Europe are experiencing higher numbers than the peak in last winter of 2020. Looking on the brighter side, hopefully this might herald the transition towards the endemic phase of the coronoavirus.
Malaysia must brace for this possible eventuality. Unlike previously, we now have good vaccines and they are our best option to keep people out of our hospitals and not overwhelm our healthcare services like happened previously.
The unvaccinated make up the majority of the sickest covid patients requiring oxygen and respirator care in the ICUs. The others are those who are only partially vaccinated and the un-boosted patients.
Studies in the UK have shown that boosting with mRNA vaccines prevents 88% of omicron hospitalisations.
At this point in time only 28% of our total population have had their boosters. We need to ramp this up by facilitating the availability and accessibility of booster shots, preferably with the mRNA vaccines.
Omicron has also taken a toll on HCP, with many of them getting sick. It is important that our HCP are all boosted with mRNA vaccines to ensure that we are not short staffed when the omicron hits us.
And all updated contingency protocols are in place in anticipation of a deluge of patients. We must have learnt our lessons from the failures of managing the 3rd wave. The authorities must take heed of the feedback from the GKVTF towards an inclusive, coordinated multi-agency/sectorial engagements within the context of an end to end automated pandemic management systems.
