Search

Omicron only mild for those with boosters

Facebook
Twitter
WhatsApp
Telegram
Email
Deputy Premier Datuk Seri Sim Kui Hian. Photo: Ramidi Subari

KUCHING: The public have been reminded to continue to be extra careful as the highly contagious Omicron variant of COVID-19 is not a mild disease.

Deputy Premier Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian said that the word ‘mild’ is only applicable to those that have received three doses of the vaccines.

“These refer to two doses of the vaccines plus the third or booster dose.

“These three doses have reduced the severity of the disease,” he told New Sarawak Tribune yesterday.

However, he said, although it may be less serious it is not mild.

Currently, the BA.2 sub-lineage of Omicron has replaced the original BA.1 Omicron as the dominating circulating strain in Sarawak.

On Mar 12, the director of the Institute of Health and Community Medicine (IHCM) at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), Dr David Perera, said 686 samples from COVID-19 positive cases had been successfully sequenced by the IHCM from last Jan 11 to Feb 28.

“The samples represented positive cases obtained state-wide and all were the BA.1.1 529 Omicron variant of concern (VOC).

“From among these, several sub-lineages comprising 16 BA.1, 339 BA. 1.1 and 331 BA.2 variants were detected.

“Fascinatingly, over the last week of February, the BA.2 sub-lineage represented over 90 per cent of all samples sequenced that week.

“This strongly suggests the BA.2 sub-lineage has now replaced the original BA.1 Omicron variant as the dominating circulating strain in Sarawak,” he said.

Download from Apple Store or Play Store.