PUTRAJAYA: The two main COVID-19 variants namely B5.2 and variant BF.7A that were spreading widely in China had been detected in Malaysia.
Director General of Health, Tan Sri Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah said, as of 31st Dec.2022, 4,148 cases were from BA.5.2 while three cases had been infected with BF.7.
Dr. Noor Hisham said, there has been no data that could be related to the increase in the harmful effect or the death rate caused by the two new COVID-19 variants.
“The situation will be examined from time to time and when there is a drastic change then there would be a need of change in the public health strategy.
“However this matter will be announced immediately by The World Health Organisation (WHO) to all members of the organisation and the people in general,” Dr. Noor Hisham said in a statement, Monday.
According to Dr. Noor Hisham, about 80 per cent of the variants that are currently spreading widely in China are from variant B5.2 and BF.7A.
He said, the two variants are classified as sub-lineage Omicron BA.5 and has not been classified as Lineage Under Monitoring (LUM) WHO.
The Health Director General also mentioned that both the variants are believed to be able to re-infect or increase in infections due to the high cases in China. – Malaysia World News
