Kota Kinabalu: The State Government should allow Malaysians with three vaccine injections arriving from foreign countries to only do home quarantine.
A Consultant Nephrologist and Physician in Internal Medicine at KPJ Sabah, Dr Kenneth Wu (top pic), said doing so would encourage more to get the booster.
Even United Kingdom, he said, is aiming one million booster shots per day following the presence of Omicron.
He believed the recent decision could be due to advisors lacking real life scientific data.
“The new restrictions on international travellers at such a short notice is disruptive and inconsistent with current scientific evidence. They will not be effective in protecting the people. On the contrary, it is more likely to generate bad press…that the State Government is performing knee-jerk reactions again.
“Healthcare decisions should be based on science and not fear or politics. People in Sabah desperately need hope and policies that will not cause more hardship,” he said.
Dr Kenneth was commenting on the announcement by Sabah’s Covid spokesman Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun of new measures and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) on travellers arriving from high-risk countries listed by Health Ministry and Immigration Department.
They are required to undergo mandatory seven-day or 10-day quarantine, depending on vaccination status, at designated centres at the first international point of entry in Kuala Lumpur, effective Dec. 28.
Masidi said those fully vaccinated must undergo the seven-day quarantine and take a RT-PCR swab test on fifth day of the quarantine period while those not vaccinated or have incomplete vaccination undergo a 10-day quarantine and take the RT-PCR swab test on eighth day.
Dr Kenneth said quarantine would not solve the problem as vaccinations remains the key.
“There are pros and cons in isolation. The workforce in a society is paralysed if too many people are being isolated.
“Many lives and livelihoods have been affected over the last two years in part due to too many disruptions and uncertainties. Many politicians are putting too much hope in the word ‘quarantine’.
“Instead of imposing measures which are likely to be ineffective and cause resentment, we should use the opportunity to encourage the public to get the extra booster vaccine dose.
“More are likely to have the third dose if they are rewarded with less quarantine time and restrictions,” he stressed.
For example, he said, those who had three doses could choose home quarantine and PCR on third day rather than completing the entire quarantine period.
He said this strategy had been carried out in other countries very successfully.
Dr Kenneth said the untimely announcement on the new policies and measure for travellers arriving from foreign countries would be perceived as insensitive and disappointing, especially during Christmas.
He said many would have made travel plans and it would have been more appropriate if the public were given advance notice.
“The new restrictions could have been implemented after the first or second week of 2022 when most Sabahans are probably back at work.
“Please consider the people and give them time to change their travel plans,” he said.
Secondly, Dr Kenneth said some of the strategies announced are not likely to be effective for various reasons.
“We now have useful information from several countries with regards to omicron. It is more transmissible but significantly less deadly. It is not possible to stop the transmission no matter what we do.
“In many countries it causes mostly mild symptoms, scientists have even described this could be a natural booster for those who have been vaccinated.
“It is spreading all over the world and will be the dominant variant in 2022. Hence, we need to adopt new strategies. Covid-19 is here to stay,” he said.
Besides, Dr Kenneth said, Omicron patients recover faster than those infected by previous variants.
Hence, the focus now should be on the number of deaths and intensive care unit admissions.
“As long as the healthcare system is not overwhelmed, there are no reasons to implement extreme measures. This only cause unnecessary disruptions and resentment towards politicians.
“Cases all over the world will increase but the vast majority who are vaccinated will not be hospitalised.”
He said the first official positive sample for omicron variant was taken almost three months ago and South Africa was the first. But the first positive sample is not the first infection.
“It is extremely likely the variant has been in different countries weeks. Nigeria detected the omicron variant in October 2021. That is weeks before South Africa.
“It is therefore very reasonable to assume omicron has been around for nearly three months if not more,” he said.
Dr Kenneth said the number of omicron cases are very high now in countries like Denmark and the UK since the world started proactively “searching” for it.
However, the Covid-19 death and hospitalisation rates remain dramatically and proportionally lower than before vaccines were made available. Thus, this is very good news indeed.
“Once again, please consider the people and review the policies soon as possible to minimise hardships.
“This will help society as a whole and generate good publicity for the government. Home quarantine for those who have had three vaccine injections is a good incentive to get more people inoculated,” he said.
“We may have to change strategies depending in circumstances. There are no good reasons for extreme measures based on current information. Severe restrictions will only cause public anger,” he said.
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