A health worker in protective gear collects a swab sample from motorists at a drive-through screening and testing centre in Seri Kembangan on March 28, 2022. ― Malay Mail photo
KUCHING (Nov 1): Sarawak is still free of the Omicron XBB sub-variant as of end of September, said Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah.
In a statement issued by his office today, Uggah, who is also Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) chairman, assured Sarawakians that surveillance is still ongoing by the Institute of Health and Community Medicine (IHCM) in Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas).
He explained the institute has been tracking the SARS-CoV-2 variants circulating in the state as part of a national surveillance programme.
The statement was issued after Uggah received the latest Covid -19 positive cases and surveillance report from IHCM director Prof Dr David Perera today.
According to Dr Perera, a total of 463 samples obtained from positive cases statewide were successfully sequenced from July 14 Sept to 27, this year.
He said all were detected as the B.1.1.529 Omicron Variant of Concern (VOC).
From these, he revealed a total of 402 samples were detected as the BA.5, three cases of the BA.4.1( two cases from Kuching and one from Sibu), and 58 cases of the BA.2 which included three cases of the BA.2.75 sub-lineages (one case from Kuching and two from Sibu).
“No case of the highly resistant BA.2.75.2 sub-lineage was detected.
“As such, since our last surveillance report in July, the Omicron BA.5 has now emerged as the most dominant SARs-CoV-2 variant circulating in Sarawak.
“It accounted for approximately 97 per cent of all positive cases detected in September,” he said.
Dr Perera, meanwhile, strongly advised the people 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 years old and those who had previously received only a single dose of the mRNA vaccine.”