THE Ministry of Health reported 416 admissions into intensive care units (ICUs) in the last 24 hours, the highest number of critical cases in a single day since the start of the pandemic.

And out of this number, 216 patients needed respiratory support.

In his press conference yesterday, Noor Hisham said younger people are becoming more susceptible to severe Covid-19 infections and are being admitted to ICU.

The director-general of health said new variants of the coronavirus could be causing more severe infections in younger patients, compared with the earlier days of the pandemic when the worst affected were older patients and those with comorbidities.

The newer variants of the virus also seem to be causing the need for respiratory support in patients, he said.

Noor Hisham said new variants of the coronavirus could be causing more severe infections in younger patients, compared with the earlier days of the pandemic when the worst affected were older patients and those with comorbidities.

He added that hospitals in the Klang Valley have reached a critical point where they have exceeded 70% of capacity for Covid-19 patients.

“The beds in ICU and non-ICU wards in the hospitals have passed their 70% capacity for Covid-19 patients, especially in the Klang Valley where we are seeing increasing cases.

“Some hospitals have also reached 100% capacity,” Noor Hisham said.

The nation recorded 26 deaths from Covid-19 in the past 24 hours, the highest ever, even as the number of fresh infections fell to 3,733, dropping below the 4,000-mark for the first time in three days. – May 9, 2021.