PETALING JAYA: More than three years after the declaration of a global emergency for Covid-19 and close to seven million lives lost worldwide, the World Health Organization (WHO) is now saying it is over.
Prof Dr Moy Foong Ming of Universiti Malaya’s Department of Social and Preventive Medicine said that with hybrid immunity from a high vaccination rate and natural Covid-19 infection, public health measures in managing the pandemic, and less virulent variants, the public will be able to co-exist with the coronavirus and enter the endemic phase.
A virus is said to be endemic when it is constantly present in the community but is contained.
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia health economics and public health specialist Prof Dr Sharifa Ezat Wan Puteh said Malaysia will have enough immune response and immunity against the infection in the endemic stage, as long as there are no virulent variants.
On whether people should continue observing Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), she said high-risk groups should continue to wear face masks.
She said if a new variant that is highly contagious comes about, then it is important to strictly comply with the SOP.
Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa said yesterday that the status of local areas of infection would remain unchanged for the time being and a risk assessment will be held in mid-June.
She said the move is necessary for quarantine or isolation of Covid-19 cases in places other than hospitals and for employers to bear the cost of treatment and testing for their employees.
The declaration of local areas of infection was previously extended from Jan 1 to June 30.
With mortality and cases on the decline, the WHO announced the end of the public health emergency for Covid-19 after the Public Health Emergency of International Concern was issued on Jan 30, 2020.
