Don’t Forget About Dengue As We Try To Keep Covid At Bay
A total of 11,127 dengue fever cases have been recorded in the country — a 211.4% increase compared to the same period in 2022.
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Following the waves of Covid-19 that Malaysians battled for over three years, there is another battle that is no stranger to us.
Over the past months, the Ministry of Health (MoH) as well as many health experts have raised the alarm that a dengue fever epidemic is set to hit Malaysia starting this year — with cases expected to peak in 2024 and 2025 — and are urging authorities to strengthen interventions and the public to take preventative steps.
As of 8 February this year, a total of 11,127 dengue fever cases have been recorded in the country.
This is a 211.4 percent increase compared to the same period in 2022 (3,573).
However, according to an article by News Straits Times, this uptrend came as no shock to experts, who described the phenomenon as a “cyclical transmission of dengue fever” that surges every three to five years.
What about our old friend Covid-19 though?
According to statistics provided by MoH, similar to the mosquito borne virus, Covid statistics have also been on the rise.
On 7 February, it was reported that the number of new Covid-19 cases increased by 41.7% last week to 1,913, from 1,350 recorded the week before.
However, according to the report, health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the number of Covid-19 patients admitted to public hospitals under Category 1 to 5 dropped by 8.8% per 100,000 from the preceding week.
Active cases declined slightly during the week to 9,476 from 9,478 the previous week while recoveries dropped by 41.7% from 2,177 cases to 1,270.
Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah
He also added that the number of deaths stood at three, 62.5% down from eight the week before, bringing the cumulative figure for fatalities to 36,943.
A total of 5,037,784 Covid-19 cases have been recorded in the country since January 2020 while a total of 13,653 dengue cases have been recorded since the start of the year up till 13 February.
Since we’re getting a lot more rain this year, keep your eyes peeled for any aedes breeding areas and mask up to avoid catching the dreaded Covid-19.
Together we can keep the numbers low!
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