KUALA LUMPUR – Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah expressed concern over the emergence of new Covid-19 variants as many patients do not show typical symptoms and their Covid-19 screening tests often come back negative.
Nevertheless, he said, some patients were already in critical condition.
In a statement today, Dr Noor Hisham said the variants spread rapidly and were also linked to high fatality rates.
He said most individuals infected with these variants did not show symptoms such as cough or fever, but experienced joint pain, tiredness, and loss of appetite.
“Some patients also don’t show common Covid-19 symptoms such as loss of smell or taste. However, these new variants spread quickly to the lungs.
“A large number of patients also don’t have a fever, although signs of pneumonia have been detected through X-ray scans,” he said.
So far, three variants have been detected in the country, namely the South African variant (B.1.351), the United Kingdom variant (B.117), and the Indian variant (B.1.617.1).
Dr Noor Hisham urged the public to always remain vigilant and abide by the movement control order (MCO) to avoid being infected with the pandemic.
He stressed that the current Covid-19 wave was more serious than the previous ones.
“We must not be careless and must always be cautious. Stay at home if you don’t have important matters outside. We have to practice self-MCO,” he said.
He also reminded the public to avoid crowded and confined places, always observe physical distancing, wear face masks, and wash their hands regularly with soap or sanitiser. – Bernama, May 18, 2021
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