KUALA LUMPUR - Today marks the second week of Syawal or Hari Raya Aidilfitri, with many Muslims opening the doors of their homes to welcome all through the RumahTerbuka or Open House.
Open Houses appear to be on full swing this year as the nation enters its second endemic phase from Covid-19.
At these Rumah Terbuka - a harmonious way to embrace the spirit of togetherness among relatives, close friends and neighbours - Aidilfitri signature food such as rendang, ketupat and lemang are served, with other delicacies such as lontong and soto prepared for the guests’ delight.
Amid the open house frenzy, several health experts have warned the people not to let their guard down, especially among senior citizens and vulnerable groups given the emergence of a new subvariant XBB.1.16 nicknamed Arcturus.
Classified under the Omicron variant family, the subvariant is not as harmful as the previous Covid variants, such as the highly transmissible Delta variant wave which saw a surge in cases in mid-2021, but experts said that it should not be taken lightly.
The new variant was first reported in January this year. On April 17, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has designated it as a Variant of Interest and has been found in over 30 countries. While Covid-19 cases are declining, the new Omicron variant is "one to watch”, according to a WHO official, Maria Van Kerkhove.
Health experts interviewed by Bernama expressed concerns over the risk of a surge in Covid-19 cases as the new strain, may be 1.2 times more infectious than the Kraken (XBB 1.5) variant.
Malaysian Public Health Organisation adviser Datuk Dr Zainal Ariffin Omar said while it is still early to raise the alarm on the new strain, its effects on the vulnerable groups cannot be taken lightly as the case for other Covid-19 infections.
"Whatever the variant, we should not throw caution into the wind especially among the vulnerable groups with low or compromised immune systems as they risk falling sick or having other serious complications as seen with other Covid-19 variants.
"As such, if this group is not careful, not equipped with Covid-19 booster or are just forgetful (about the deadly C-19), they risk exposure to ‘long Covid’ and death probabilities although there have been no reported death cases due to Arcturus,” he told Bernama.
According to Dr Zainal, the Arcturus symptoms are almost similar to other Covid-19 variants such as extremely high fever and coughing, but the new symptoms for this new variant include conjunctivitis or eye infection, causing red, itchy and swollen eyes.
Conjunctivitis has previously been reported as among Covid-19 symptoms but is not as common as this new variant.
"There’s nothing wrong with making house visits during the festive occasion but some may forget and tend to be comfortable or lax in wearing face masks. Hence, my advice is, they should comply with the standard operating procedures (SOP) and treat face mask wearing as a norm.
"While this new subvariant has not shown its harmful effects, those who are suspected or have developed symptoms are advised to be honest with themselves and refrain from making these visits as they could potentially infect elderly or low-immunity folks in the house they are visiting " he added.
He said while no new SOP has been introduced by the government, the risk of Covid-19 spreading in the country is still there and the public should comply if they are in narrow or crowded places.
As of May 1, Malaysia recorded a total of 9,780 new cases within a period of 14 days with Selangor taking the lead with the highest number of cases of 3,414 followed by Kuala Lumpur (2,130) and Melaka (792).
Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa was earlier reported as saying MOH has detected six more Covid-19 cases infected with Arcturus namely four in Selangor while another two in Kuala Lumpur. The additional cases brought the overall total of individuals infected with the new variant to 12 including six in Sarawak while another two in Kuala Lumpur.
Meanwhile, Public Health Medicine Consultant, Universiti Malaya (UM) Prof Dr Sanjay Rampal said the new variant has a probability of becoming a dominant strain over several months.
"Although this subvariant could see a surge of new cases during this festive season given the nature of Arcturus that is easily transmissible, there is no cause for worry. We appear to have more than sufficient capacity to manage the burden associated with the current wave of COVID-19 infection. "However, we should continue close surveillance of this disease and ensure that the public health services on the ground have enough resources and capacity to prevent and control Covid-19,” he said. As such, individuals who are suspected of developing the symptoms should conduct their own self Covid-19 tests before visiting other homes during the festive season and that they should visit the doctor if they continue to have fever and test results must be negative.
Given the situation, social expert Prof Datuk Dr Mohamad Shatar Sabran said while the visits have become a traditional part of Malaysian culture during Syawal, it is also the best way to strengthen ties, but it also depends on the situation.
"Malays greet each other with a ‘salam’, in which two individuals each extend both hands and grasp both their hands somewhat like a double handshake. Hence, the power of touching is created through these greetings, and it is also a practice among other races, but we can change this based on situations.
"We certainly do not want to see repeated impacts of the Movement Control Order (MCO) to curb the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. As such, a win-win situation is key whereby home visits during Raya can still continue but through ‘ziarah terdidik’ or ‘responsible ziarah’ with strict compliance of the SOPs or via online,” he added. - BERNAMA