Get boosted as Omicron is not 'mild flu', KJ reminds high-risk groups

SHAH ALAM - Despite a surge in Covid-19 daily cases, the death rate is on the decline during the Omicron wave, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said in his Twitter account.

“Every death is serious. But now we are seeing death rates coming down drastically as compared to the Delta wave.

"It is less severe now but it's not mild flu," he wrote.

Due to that, he urged the public to protect the high-risk group, advising them "Please get boosted.”

Malaysia has been reporting over 25,000 Covid-19 cases daily.

In a video attached to the same tweet, Khairy said that the declining death rate is due to the country’s immunisation efforts.

“Death rate remains low despite an increase in the contagious Omicron variant,” he said.

According to him, this was a far cry from last year, with death rates almost on par with the daily infection as most Malaysians were still not fully vaccinated or boosted.

Dr Tan Ran Zhi, the Sungai Buloh Hospital forensic pathologist added the hospital recorded 20 to 30 deaths a day in July and August of last year. Now, it averages at about three to fourCovid deaths daily, he said in the video.

“Last year, we had five containers, three 20-foot containers and two 40-foot containers filled with bodies of Covid-19 patients,” said Tan.

“Now, that number has dwindled down to only two 20-foot containers,” he shared.