HEALTH experts have urged the public not to fret over the new Covid-19 strain BA.2.86, which is triggering a surge of new cases in most countries. 

They said the public can lead a normal life but advised them to take necessary precautions, including returning to masking.

Dr Chan Yoke Fun said it is important to encourage all past preventative measures despite a return to normalcy. 

“This includes vaccines, masking, ventilation, social distancing and more,” the associate professor from the Department of Medical Microbiology in the Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya said. 

She also said all data including variant sequencing, hospitalisation caused by the new strain and others must be collected and announced to the public. 

“Public warning should be data driven. Malaysia should stay prepared with a robust health system, laboratory readiness, and skilled talents,” she said. 

Meanwhile, Universiti Putra Malaysia’s associate professor of virology Dr Chee Hui Yee urged Malaysians to be vigilant in order to take suitable action.

“If one is in a crowded and confined space, you may want to consider wearing a mask,” she said. 

Chee also said the information on BA.2.86 was limited and that a risk assessment on the variant was ongoing. 

“Hence, we can live as usual but take more precautions if travelling overseas,” she said.

To date, the BA.2.86 subvariant, known as Pirola, has yet to be detected in Malaysia.

However, the newly detected, highly-mutative variant of Omicron has raised concerns in countries such as the United States and Britain.

Initially detected in Denmark in July, the subvariant has also been detected in South Africa, Portugal, Thailand, Sweden, Switzerland and Canada.

The subvariant was further found in wastewater samples in several countries, including Britain and Thailand.

According to former deputy health minister Dr Lee Boon Chye, the new strain is just a subvariant of Omicron, saying the morbidity and mortality rate of the strain is low. 

He said the spread of the subvariant was inevitable and it could be soon detected in the country with international travels now permitted without any restrictions. 

“With international borders now open, I think sooner or later, the new variant will arrive and be detected.

“Normally the new variant probably spreads faster than the existing variant, and whether you like it or not, it will arrive,” he said. 

Lee said there is no reason to panic and that the decision to be immune is up to the individuals.

Britain is fast-tracking its flu and Covid-19 vaccination drive for care home residents and those immunocompromised as a precautionary measure, while the US is expecting updated versions of Covid-19 vaccines that are tweaked to enable the body to ward off the current variants.

“I’m not sure if they have any data on the vaccine for this variant. Whatever vaccine that is recommended, not sure if there is data to back it up. 

“The overall mortality or morbidity rate from the variant is still low.

“High-risk groups would have to boost their immunity in case the (current) vaccine efficacy wanes. However, even that (taking vaccines) should be up to individuals,” he said.

Yesterday, Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa said Malaysia was ready to face any future pandemic, including from new Covid-19 variants. – September 26, 2023.