KANGAR: The new wave of Covid-19, which is expected to strike in two to three months, will not be as bad as previous ones.
Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said although the number of cases reported each day had increased to more than 2,000 last week, the effects were not as dire.
"Although the number of cases is increasing but the impact is not very serious. It means the number (cases) that had to be admitted to the hospital or Intensive Care Units and the number of deaths is still low.
"This means we have to live with Covid-19 and even though the (new) wave (Covid-19) will come, but the effects will not be like before.
"In the previous wave, many were hospitalised, but now, 96 per cent who are positive stay at home and recover in two to three days," Khairy said in his speech at the opening of the Perlis leg of the Healthy Malaysia National Agenda (ANMS) Carnival at Dataran Datuk Sheikh Ahmed, here, today.
The carnival was opened by the Raja Muda of Perlis, Tuanku Syed Faizuddin Putra Jamalullail.
Present were Raja Puan Muda Perlis Tuanku Lailatul Shahreen Akashah Khalil, state Health, Natural Resources and Environment, Biotechnology and Green Technology Committee chairman Teh Chai Aan, who represented Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Azlan Man, and state Health director Dr Sirajuddin Hashim.
Khairy said the Health Ministry was also encouraged with the number of elderly taking Covid-19 vaccine booster doses.
"At the national level, almost 70 per cent of adults have received the Covid-19 vaccine booster dose, but in Perlis, only 43 per cent of adults have received the booster.
"For those aged 60 and below, the Covid-19 infection may just be like the common cold because they have taken the vaccine, but for the elderly, it is risky because they have a low level of immunity," he said.
He appealed to senior citizens to get a Covid-19 vaccine booster before the new wave strikes.