Or Vandine, Ministry of Health spokeswoman and head of the National Covid-19 Vaccination Committee, said at a press conference last year. Hong Menea
With the Omicron sub-variants BA.4 and BA.5 spreading faster than the previous omicron variants, the Ministry of Health renewed its calls to the public to remain on high alert and protect themselves against the virus.
Or Vandine, Ministry of Health spokeswoman and head of the National Covid-19 Vaccination Committee, said on July 12 that people should not underestimate the virus or its ability to compromise their health.
Cambodia had begun detecting the sub-variants on June 28 and their spread has been ongoing as they are the primary cause of all new Covid-19 cases in the Kingdom.
“Following the WHO’s recommendations, we must be aware of the ease with which these sub-variants can infect those who are already vaccinated and re-infect people who have been infected by other variants in the past. Though the recent infections seem mild overall, we absolutely cannot overlook the danger posed by sub-variants BA.4 and BA.5,” she said.
The ministry reminded people of the Covid-19 protective measures, stating that new Covid-19 cases are now detected every day, which means Covid-19 is back in Cambodia.
The ministry added that the sub-variants BA.4 and BA.5 have circulated faster than the previous omicron variants BA.1 and BA.2, leading to an increase in the number of infections in Cambodia and around the world.
Minister of Health Mam Bun Heng reminded the public to responsibly exercise increased caution against the virus.
“We have to be vigilant and maintain preventive health measures to prevent Covid-19 transmission and protect our health and our family members and our workplaces,” he said.
He added that to prevent the spread of Covid-19, all people have to practise the three dos and three don’ts and get vaccinated against Covid-19 with base shots plus third, fourth and fifth doses.
He said the symptoms of the sub-variants BA.4 and BA.5 are the same as with previous Covid-19 variants, including fever, coughing, sore throat and a runny nose like a cold or flu.
“Some people who have contracted this disease and recovered from it continue to have side-effects over the long term and perhaps indefinitely, such as fatigue, headaches, insomnia, muscle pain and other impacts,” Vandine said, referring to the phenomenon of “long Covid” – a condition which affects up to 10 per cent of all Covid-19 patients – but with widely varying degrees of severity.
The three dos are to wear a mask, wash your hands regularly and maintain physical distance of 1.5m. The three don’ts are to avoid confined and enclosed spaces, avoid crowded spaces and avoid physical contact with other people.
