By Geryl Ogilvy
KUCHING, April 16: The two age groups in Malaysia with the highest number of Covid-19 cases are the 20-24 years old, as well as those aged between 56 and 59.
Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said people within these two age groups are the “most vulnerable”, when compared to those in other age groups in the country.
The ministry had made a conclusion based on a chart, which categorised Covid-19 patients according to the age groupings, he added.
“Senior citizens are mostly affected by Covid-19. They are considered the high-risk group for complications, and even death, due to the virus. Age and chronic illnesses are factors, which are global issues faced by affected countries.
“When the statistics are compared across all age groups, the incident rate for every 100,000 Malaysians is highest for those in the 55 to 59 age group, as well as 60 to 64,” he told a press conference to give Covid-19 updates at Putrajaya today.
To date, Dr Noor Hisham said 62.6 per cent of deaths in the country involved those aged 60 and above, while 80.7 per cent of deaths involved those with chronic illnesses such as diabetes and high blood pressure including kidney and heart problems, amongst other diseases.
In this regards, he added that it was crucial for senior citizens to seek immediate treatment.
“Prognosis is better if treatment is earlier. Therefore it is important for senior citizens to seek immediate treatment despite experiencing light symptoms such as fever, cough, flu, or sore throat.
“It is important for family members to ensure the senior citizens receive immediate treatment if they are unwell. Make sure the supply of medicine is enough at home,” he continued.
He reminded the public, especially senior citizens, to always practise good hygiene and social distancing of at least 1 metre from other people.
He added that those needing health consultancy may contact the Virtual Health Advisory through the Health Ministry’s online portal between 8.30am and 5pm daily.
“To ensure the supply of medicine is sufficient and to lessen the need for senior citizens or those unwell to go out of their houses, we encourage the public to utilise the value-added services of pharmacies such as services for delivery of medicines or drive-through.
“Considering the movement control order (MCO), patients should also opt for appointments by phone or text messages. We need to lessen the need for people to go to hospitals or health clinics,” he continued. — DayakDaily
