SCHOOLS are involved in 77.8% of respiratory tract infection clusters in Johor, including in cases of influenza-like illness (ILI) and upper respiratory tract infection (URTI).

State Health and Unity Committee chairman Ling Tian Soon said most of the institutions involved are boarding schools. 

“Most of the reported clusters involve educational institutions, which is 77.8%. 

“Monitoring carried out by the state Health Department for ILI and URTI cases found that the situation is still under control, even though several clusters involving boarding schools have been detected,” he said in a statement today.

He said 1,531 cases of respiratory tract infection were reported during epidemiological week 31, which is an increase of 2.7 times, compared with 574 cases reported in the same period last year.

Ling said the number of clusters had increased to 18, compared with eight reported in the same period last year. 

He said that in general, ILI and URTI are common cases that occur in Malaysia throughout the year, and only require monitoring and self-isolation. 

He said the state Health Department advises the public to take preventive measures by practising personal hygiene and keeping their hands clean using water and soap or sanitiser. – Bernama, August 8, 2022.