What will be the daily peak of the Omicron wave in Malaysia?
We cannot be like India, which at present, its daily peak during the Omicron wave of 347,254 new Covid-19 cases on 20th January 2022 is lower than its daily peak of Delta wave of 414,433 new Covid-19 cases on 6th May 2021. New Covid-19 cases in India has come down to 13,166 cases yesterday.
Yesterday, Malaysia under the Omicron wave recorded 32,070 new Covid-19 cases, which is over 30% of the Delta daily peak of 24,599 new Covid-19 cases on 26th August 2021.
We have not reached the Omicron daily peak, but will it be like the USA and UK where they recorded an Omicron peak which was about three times the Delta daily peak, or will it be like South Korea whose Omicron daily peak is about 20 times that of the Delta peak, or even worse, like Hong Kong where the Omicron daily peak is about 60 times the Delta daily peak.
This is not known yet but the signs in the ASEAN region is quite encouraging that it is unlikely that the Omicron wave in Malaysia would reach the South Korea or Hong Kong levels.
In the Philippines, after an explosive surge of Omicron wave, it reached a daily peak of 38,867 new cases on 15th January 2022 as compared to the Delta daily peak of 26,208 new Covid-19 cases on 11th September 2021 – or about one-and-a-half times that of the Delta daily peak. Yesterday, it recorded 1,624 new Covid-19 cases.
Indonesia reached a Delta daily peak of 56,757 new Covid-19 cases on 15th July 2021, but under Omicron wave, it has reached a peak of 64,716 new cases on 16th February 2022. It recorded 57,426 new Covid-19 cases yesterday.
Singapore has the highest increase in the daily peak of Omicron wave when it recorded 26,032 new Covid-19 cases on 22nd February 2022, which was about five times its Delta daily peak of 5,324 new Covid-19 cases on 27th October 2021, followed by Vietnam whose Omicron daily peak yesterday of 69,128 new Covid-19 cases is over thrice its Delta daily peak of 20,454 new Covid-19 cases on 30th December 2021.
The Omicron wave has to be monitored closely, as the mortality rate where there are 224 Covid-19 deaths in the past five days are unacceptably high.
The Health Ministry warning that serious infections were mostly occurring among the unboosted should be taken seriously.
{Media Statement (2) by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Gelang Patah on Friday, 25th February 2022}
Apakah kemuncak kes harian gelombang Omicron di Malaysia – adakah tiga kali ganda kemuncak kes harian Delta seperti di Amerika Syarikat dan UK, lebih 20 kali ganda seperti di Korea Selatan atau hampir 60 kali ganda seperti di Hong Kong?
Berapakah kemuncak kes harian gelombang Omicron di Malaysia?
Kita tidak mungkin menjadi seperti India, yang buat masa ini, mencatatkan kemuncak kes hariannya semasa gelombang Omicron setinggi 347,254 kes baharu Covid-19 pada 20 Januari 2022, lebih rendah berbanding kemuncak kes harian gelombang Delta sebanyak 414,433 kes baharu Covid-19 pada 6 Mei 2021. Kes baharu Covid-19 di India telah turun kepada 13,166 kes semalam.
Semalam, Malaysia dengan gelombang Omicron merekodkan 32,070 kes baharu, iaitu lebih daripada 30% daripada kemuncak kes harian semasa penularan gelombang Delta sebanyak 24,599 kes baharu Covid-19 pada 26 Ogos 2021.
Kita belum mencapai kemuncak penularan gelombang Omicron, tetapi adakah ia akan menjadi seperti di Amerika Syarikat dan UK di mana mereka merekodkan kemuncak kes harian Omicron dengan angka kira-kira tiga kali ganda lebih banyak kes berbanding dengan angka gelombang Delta, atau seperti Korea Selatan dengan lebih 20 kali ganda seperti di Korea Selatan atau hampir 60 kali ganda seperti di Hong Kong.
Perkara ini belum diketahui lagi tetapi tanda-tanda di kawasan serantau ASEAN agak memberangsangkan, bahawa tidak mungkin gelombang Omicron di Malaysia akan mencapai tahap seperti di Korea Selatan atau Hong Kong.
Di Filipina, selepas lonjakan gelombang Omicron, negara tersebut mencatatkan kemuncak kes harian sebanyak 38,867 kes baharu pada 15 Januari 2022 berbanding dengan 26,208 kes baharu Covid-19 pada 11 September 2021 semasa penularan varian Delta, atau kira-kira satu setengah kali ganda lebih banyak daripada angka tertinggi Delta. Semalam, negara tersebut merekodkan 1,624 kes baharu Covid-19.
Indonesia mencatatkan kemuncak kes harian gelombang Delta dengan 56,757 kes baharu Covid-19 pada 15 Julai 2021, tetapi dengan gelombang Omicron, negara tersebut telah mencapai kemuncak 64,716 kes baharu pada 16 Februari 2022. Ia merekodkan 57,426 kes baharu Covid-19 semalam.
Singapura mempunyai peningkatan tertinggi dalam kemuncak harian gelombang Omicron apabila negara tersebut mencatatkan 26,032 kes baharu Covid-19 pada 22 Februari 2022, iaitu kira-kira lima kali ganda kemuncak kes harian Delta daripada 5,324 kes baharu Covid-19 pada 27 Oktober 2021, diikuti oleh Vietnam yang mencatatkan kemuncak kes harian Omicron semalam sebanyak 69,128 kes baharu Covid-19, melebihi tiga kali ganda puncak harian Delta sebanyak 20,454 kes baharu Covid-19 pada 30 Disember 2021.
Gelombang Omicron perlu dipantau dengan teliti, kerana kadar kematian di mana terdapat 224 kematian Covid-19 dalam tempoh lima hari yang lepas adalah terlalu tinggi.
Kementerian Kesihatan memberi amaran bahawa jangkitan serius kebanyakannya berlaku di kalangan yang belum menerima dos penggalak harus diambil serius.
(Kenyataan media (2) Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang di Gelang Patah pada hari Jumaat, 25 Februari 2022)