LETTER | New Covid-19 wave not the only threat

LETTER | After the gathering at the Kuala Lumpur Court Complex yesterday, which many top healthcare officials have agreed was a severe breach of standard operating procedures, there is a chance that we might have triggered another potential spread of Covid-19. 

Many of those present for former premier Najib Abdul Razak's verdict on the SRC case, including notable figures, were not masked and did not practise basic preventive measures like social distancing. 

Unfortunately, this is the perfect recipe for a potential spread - similar to what happened in February/March with the Sri Petaling cluster. At this point, we are now looking at damage control, it is best that everyone applies these three steps that will help curb another wildfire spread:

1. Stay indoors and work from home as much as possible.
2. Practise all preventive measures stringently - wear a face mask the moment you step out of your residence (even if it is to throw your garbage out), disinfect materials, strict hand hygiene at all times with soap and water plus alcohol scrubbing and social distancing.
3. Forget about interstate travel over the next few days. Be a team player for Malaysia and stay indoors.

With many companies racing against the clock to discover a potential vaccine that will get us out of this rut, there must be a special task force now to start educating the public (in all languages) on the importance of vaccination. 

This will save time and be of importance especially when this much-awaited vaccine is marketed for use. It is of no use if the ministry and government go all out to obtain and fund the vaccine but people refuse to take it.

From a personally done calculation during the movement control order, we will need approximately 94 percent of the public (please note I said public - which includes foreigners) to be vaccinated so that the other 6 percent (who cannot be vaccinated due to health reasons) can benefit from herd immunity. 

We must now include the combat against the virus with a special focus on those people who refute vaccinations (for one reason or another). We must reach out and educate them that the control of this pandemic is highly dependent on them once the vaccine is available. 

There is no point of having a vaccine to eradicate the virus if there is poor compliance to it.

This will require the understanding and support of everyone in the country. I hope that a package for all is considered and please include foreigners in this programme as they are as much part of our society as Malaysians. We need to curb this with a holistic approach. 

Salam Hari Raya Aidiladha to all, may everyone stay at home and practise all preventive measures. 

The writer is a medical officer. 

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.