Vaccines may prevent severe illness from variant

IT is somewhat reassuring to read of a top South African infectious disease expert’s finding that current vaccines probably prevent severe illness from the newly identified Omicron variant.

Hence, it is important that our authorities stay alert but not be not overly alarmed.

They must not have knee-jerk reactions and resume extensive restrictions.

Critically, mental health costs must be weighed against resuming restrictions.

The dire mental damage from Covid lockdowns over the last two years are well documented and discussed.

Put simply, mental health issues are equally important to physical health.

Malaysia is relatively well placed to deal with the Covid variants. A solid 96.1% (and counting) of our adult population have completed their Covid vaccinations.

It is important that the general population be cautioned against undue panic over the new Omicron strain as new Covid variants are to be expected. It is even more important to stay cautious even after being fully jabbed.

In the meantime, our reopening road maps must stay in place until more is known about Omicron.

Arguably, our economy and society can remain open safely with our high vaccination rates.

It is important for our mental health that we appreciate that it is not just about learning to live alongside Covid-19. In the long run, we need to learn to live alongside its variants as well.

Living with the virus and its variants will require a constant balancing act as governments weigh the cost of restrictions against the costs of mental health and the economy.

The mental, physical and economic health of our nation and society will require holding our nerve to keep our economy and society going forward on the path of normalcy.

We have learned much from the many months of dealing with the pandemic, including the key lesson that in fighting the Covid pandemic and its variants it is best to remember that the “only thing we have to fear is fear itself”.

Sze Loong Steve Ngeow Kajang