China’s main Covid-19 variants not likely to pose threat, says virologist
There is no need to shut the door on Chinese visitors, say two virologists. (Bernama pic)
PETALING JAYA: Virologists say there is no need to hit the panic button on the government’s decision to keep Malaysia’s borders open amid concerns over a surge of Covid-19 cases in China.
Kumitaa Theva Das of Universiti Sains Malaysia said the two main Covid-19 subvariants, BA.5.2 and BF.7, which account for almost 80% of the variants found in China currently, are not newcomers to Malaysia’s shores.
She said it is “highly likely” that most Malaysians have developed immunity against BA.5.2, which was first detected in Malaysia around March 2022.
As for BF.7, it was first detected in Malaysia around August and September last year in Selangor, Pahang and Melaka.
Kumitaa Theva Das.
“As we did not see an exponential increase in cases then, it is unlikely that the same subvariants would pose a threat to us now,” she told FMT.
She added that since BF.7 has been reported in more than 90 countries, China’s reopening should not be any different.
On Monday, health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah was quoted by Bernama as saying that as of Dec 31, there were 4,148 cases infected with BA.5.2 and three cases infected with BF.7 in the country.
He, however, clarified that there was no data to link serious cases or deaths to the BA.5.2 and BF.7 subvariants.
Despite this, some netizens have called for the government to shut the country’s borders to travellers from China.
“When will Malaysia learn from its past mistakes? I hope (the government) will close the borders to visitors from China,” said Twitter user Nor Azam.
Another Twitter user asked if the government was “waiting for Malaysians to die” and for the variants to be widespread locally before it decided to close the nation’s borders.
PETALING JAYA: Virologists say there is no need to hit the panic button on the government’s decision to keep Malaysia’s borders open amid concerns over a surge of Covid-19 cases in China.
Kumitaa Theva Das of Universiti Sains Malaysia said the two main Covid-19 subvariants, BA.5.2 and BF.7, which account for almost 80% of the variants found in China currently, are not newcomers to Malaysia’s shores.
She said it is “highly likely” that most Malaysians have developed immunity against BA.5.2, which was first detected in Malaysia around March 2022.
As for BF.7, it was first detected in Malaysia around August and September last year in Selangor, Pahang and Melaka.
Kumitaa Theva Das.“As we did not see an exponential increase in cases then, it is unlikely that the same subvariants would pose a threat to us now,” she told FMT.
She added that since BF.7 has been reported in more than 90 countries, China’s reopening should not be any different.
On Monday, health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah was quoted by Bernama as saying that as of Dec 31, there were 4,148 cases infected with BA.5.2 and three cases infected with BF.7 in the country.
He, however, clarified that there was no data to link serious cases or deaths to the BA.5.2 and BF.7 subvariants.
Despite this, some netizens have called for the government to shut the country’s borders to travellers from China.
“When will Malaysia learn from its past mistakes? I hope (the government) will close the borders to visitors from China,” said Twitter user Nor Azam.
Another Twitter user asked if the government was “waiting for Malaysians to die” and for the variants to be widespread locally before it decided to close the nation’s borders.
Vinod Balasubramaniam.Monash University’s virologist Vinod Balasubramaniam also defended the government’s decision to keep Malaysia’s borders open, saying the virus would be able to enter the country through other means with the relaxation of air travel worldwide.
Vinod said while the fear from the public and health officials was understandable, there was no evidence to suggest that the BF.7 subvariant was much more lethal than the previous Delta strain.
He said it would take a special situation to warrant closing Malaysia’s borders, like the detection of newer variants that were immune to existing vaccines or natural infection, with a high mortality rate that could paralyse the healthcare system.
The main rebuttal to these Experts is that the China government has effectively stopped sharing it's Covid data with the rest of the world.
ReplyDeleteLast week, FIVE (!!!!! ?????) people officially died of Covid-19 in China.
Do these experts honestly believe China data, or just burying their head in the sand, or licking China monsterballs for their own reason ?
Here we go AGAIN!
DeleteData, govt declarations, policies - anything tagged with Red China - must be accepted with yr grandmother's lotus feet linen - length & smell inclusive!
These mfers r so deeply indoctrinated such that no questions asked when the frauds stare right across the eyeballs when it's declared/presented by their demoNcastic idols!
Closing the border to the Chinese!
ReplyDeleteAs that know-nothing mfer said - for the sake of the old & vulnerable, who have had already faced that two 'lethal' subvariants long before China has them in circulation!
Western propagandas, back by blur-f*cks, rumour-mongers & paid instigators, to propagate new yellow peril fears!