Dr David Perera
KUCHING (Aug 11): One-third or 32.8 per cent of the total number of Covid-19 positive cases detected since June this year were due to its BA.5 sub-variant.
In his latest report to the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC), director of Universiti Malaysia Sarawak’s (Unimas) Institute of Health and Community Medicine (IHCM) Prof Dr David Perera said the finding followed the successful sequencing on 165 samples taken from throughout the state for the period April 2 to July 13.
He said from these 165 samples, 121 were detected as multiple minor sub-lineages of BA.2; there was a single case and the first reported detection of BA.4; while 43 others were that of BA.5.
Dr Perera said while the BA.2 VOC continues to be the predominant detected sub-variant over this period of surveillance, a rapid increase in the detection of the BA.5 VOC was observed.
“From early June onwards, approximately one-third (or 32.8 per cent) of all detections were of this sub-variant (BA.5),” he said.
He pointed out this observation in Sarawak is consistent with the global distribution of this highly infectious Omicron VOC, which has seen a rapid increase detected in many countries.
“This has led to a surge in infections,” he said.
In view of this, Dr Perera advised the public in Sarawak to be aware of the heightened risk of increase in infection rates in the state.
“Please consider getting a booster dose if you have not done so, particularly for individuals with comorbidities, those above 50, and those who have previously received only a single dose of an mRNA vaccine,” he stressed.