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Prevention best policy: Threat of Covid-19 not over yet

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 09, 2022

Liu Wei Zi has certainly had her share of bad luck this year after testing positive for Covid-19 four times in quick succession.

The 24-year-old operations consultant had to quarantine herself in March, May, July, and most recently last month, when all her PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests came back positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

She tells us how her second infection was the worst of them all.

“I had all the symptoms at the time and felt like I was going to die. It was definitely the worst experience compared to the other times.

“And right after my quarantine, I had the worst cramps I’ve ever experienced as soon as I got my period,” she says.

She believes her four bouts of Covid-19 are due to her immunosuppressed status.

“I went on a trip to Port Dickson with my friends. And among the seven of us, only I got Covid,” she shares.

Back in February 2021, Liu was diagnosed with psoriasis after a few red patches appeared on her skin, especially her legs and hand.

Her dermatologist prescribed her methotrexate, along with some steroid creams and one session of phototherapy, which involves exposing the skin to ultraviolet light.

“Phototherapy was like magic. My skin cleared up in the span of two days,” she says.

However, she was still required to take the methotrexate pills on a regular basis as there is no cure for psoriasis, and the treatments available are aimed at controlling the symptoms.

Methotrexate, which is also used to treat cancer and rheumatoid arthritis, works by slowing the abnormally rapid growth of skin cells in psoriasis.

However, it also has the effect of suppressing the immune system, making the patient vulnerable to infections.

Universiti Putra Malaysia Teaching Hospital medical officer Dr Jayaganthan Manaugar notes that immunosuppressed people are generally considered a high-risk group as they are prone to catching infections easily.

The doctor who is currently completing a master’s in internal medicine says: “The SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes Covid-19 is an airborne virus that spreads very easily, hence, it directly increases the possibility of infections to those high-risk groups.”

According to consultant infectious diseases physician Dr Christopher Lee, those who are immunosuppressed also respond less to vaccines.

“Those in this category are more likely to get infected, and when they do get infected, they are also more likely to have severe disease.

“To be fully vaccinated against Covid-19, they actually need three shots in the primary vaccination series, instead of two,” says the adjunct professor at Taylor’s University School of Medicine.

Besides getting all the recommended shots, it’s important for those who are immunosuppressed to practise good infection prevention measures like physical distancing, wearing more protective face masks such as the N95, and practising good hand hygiene, he adds.

Indeed, although almost all of the restrictions enforced during the Covid-19 pandemic have now been eased, Liu is still being cautious and encourages everyone else to be too.

“If you are sick, it is better for you to wear a mask to protect yourself, as well as the people around you.

“My friends and I still practise doing self-tests before meeting up, just to be safe,” she says.

She also still religiously wears her face masks and takes good care of both her physical and mental health.

With new Covid-19 cases still averaging above 1,000 every day in Malaysia, it is clear that the SARS-CoV-2 virus is still circulating.

And with the wearing of face masks and physical distancing no longer being enforced, everyone is still at risk of catching the disease.

Therefore, those in high-risk groups, like people who have chronic diseases or are immunosuppressed, are advised by doctors to continue taking precautions to prevent themselves from getting Covid-19.

The Star

Asia News Network