KUCHING: The Covid-19 Omicron variant has now replaced the Delta variant as the dominant one in Sarawak.
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) Institute of Health and Community Medicine (IHCM) director Prof Dr David Perera said the detection rate of 78 per cent for the Omicron had been discovered from surveillance data of positive cases from Jan 3 to 26 this year.
"A total 58 samples were successfully sequenced over the period where 45 cases linked to the Omicron variant and 13 Delta were detected.
"The 78 per cent detection rate suggests that Omicron has replaced Delta as the dominant circulating variant in Sarawak," he said in his latest report to the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) chairman Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas today.
Dr David added that the Omicron cases were detected in samples taken from Kuching, Samarahan, Sibu, Kapit, Mukah and Miri.
He said the majority were of the BA.1.1 lineage but three cases of the more infectious BA.2 lineages were identified in Kapit.
"Most of these cases were through community transmissions," he said.
In the light of the increasing number of cases in the country, Dr David who is a member of Sarawak Covid-19 Vaccine Advisory Group (SCOVAG) advised those who had yet to get their booster doses to do so immediately.
Studies, he said, had shown this was necessary to boost waning neutralising antibody levels to protect from Omicron infections.
He also reminded the people to continue to strictly observe the health standard operating procedures (SOP) and avoid community gatherings if possible to prevent further community spread.
The Institute of Health and Community Medicine from Unimas is responsible for tracking the SARS-CoV-2 variants circulating in the state.
