KUCHING, Jan 3: The Omicron variant of Covid-19 may trigger a risk of “long Covid” or prolonged Covid-19 symptoms on infected individuals.
Sarawak Public Communications Unit (UKAS) today reported that Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the Omicron variant which was previously reported to be less violent than previous variants such as the Delta may cause those infected to suffer long Covid.
According to Noor Hisham, the South African-born variant also has the ability to infect more individuals in a shorter period of time.
“Although less violence (or virulence) is reported, more people can be infected in a short time.
“Those who are vulnerable are more at risk of being admitted to hospitals and intensive care units (ICUs).
“Although there are no symptoms or mild symptoms, this virus can cause the long-term effects of Covid-19 between 20 to 30 percent,” he said in a statement on Sunday (Jan 2).
Dr Noor Hisham added that Ministry of Health (MOH) needs a lot of current data to assess the impact of this Omicron variant.
The Omicron variant reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) on Nov 24, 2021 has now been detected in at least seven states namely Selangor, Kedah, Penang, Johor, Pahang as well as in Sarawak and Sabah.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the United States, people with long Covid have a range of new or ongoing symptoms that can last weeks or months after they are infected with the virus that causes Covid-19 and that can worsen with physical or mental activity.
Common symptoms of long Covid include tiredness or fatigue, difficulty in thinking or concentrating, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, headache, dizziness on standing, fast-beating or pounding heart, chest pain, cough, joint or muscle pain, depression or anxiety, fever or loss of taste or smell.
Some people also experience damage to multiple organs including the hearts, lungs, kidneys, skin, and brain. — DayakDaily
