KUCHING, May 18: New Covid-19 variants have emerged where many patients do not show typical symptoms and their Covid-19 screening tests often return negative results, said Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.
Dr Noor Hisham disclosed this fact while expressing concern over the deadly Covid-19 variants which are linked to high fatality rates in a statement today.
Quoted by Bernama, Dr Noor Hisham said some patients were already in critical condition and the variants were spreading rapidly in the country.
He said most individuals infected with these variants did not show symptoms such as cough or fever, but experienced joint pain, tiredness, and loss of appetite.
“Some patients also don’t show common Covid-19 symptoms such as loss of smell or taste. However, these new variants spread quickly to the lungs.
“A large number of patients also don’t have a fever, although signs of pneumonia have been detected through X-ray scans,” said Bernama, quoting Dr Noor Hisham.
So far, three variants have been detected in the country, namely the South African variant (B.1.351), the United Kingdom variant (B.117), and the Indian variant (B.1.617.1).
Dr Noor Hisham was further quoted saying that the current Covid-19 wave was more serious than the previous ones.
“We must not be careless and must always be cautious. Stay at home if you don’t have important matters outside. We have to practice self-MCO (movement control order),” he said.
He also reminded the public to avoid crowded and confined places, always observe physical distancing, wear face masks, and wash their hands regularly with soap or sanitiser. — DayakDaily
