Topic: COVID Update by National Medical Associations

1^st January, 2022, Saturday

9.30am-10.30am

• Malaysia Update: The number of daily new cases is ranging between 3000 to 4000 per day. Daily deaths have also reduced to 30 to 40. Hospital admissions are decreasing. There are not too many omicron cases, cases are mainly in foreigners who have come into the country. So far, no outbreak  of Omicron. Wearing a face mask, social distancing are mandatory by law; no big functions in the public are allowed. All SOPs are being followed strictly as there is a penalty for violating the norms. Small functions within Clubs or even homes are allowed but SOPs have to be followed; masks are to be removed only when eating otherwise masks are to be worn all the time. Clubs have to apply for government approval. Booster dose has started and the government is encouraging people to take the booster dose. More than 90% adults have received two doses. There is no serious disease; most Covid patients are asked to home quarantine for 10 days unless there are major symptoms.
• Bangladesh Update: New cases are more than 500 in a day since last 3 to 4 days. The positive cases are just above 2%. Very few samples are being sent for genome sequencing. There are 3-4 cases of Omicron so far. Around 30% have received two doses and around 40% have received the single dose of the vaccine. Booster dose has started; Pfizer vaccine is being given as booster. The country has opened, there are no restrictions, but people are not following the SOPs
• Philippines Update: There are less than 300 daily cases. But due to Christmas, but due to influx of workers and relatives from abroad, there was an increase in the number of cases. On 30^th December, there were 1700 cases, 31^st December, there were 2900 cases. This number is expected to double because of mobility of people. There are four omicron cases – three are local cases. Markets are open. The government has placed the national capital region from level 2 to level 3 alert. 2.7 million vaccines are administered per day on an average.
• India Update: The country is moving towards the third wave. Daily cases have increased from 800 per day to 24,000 per day. Twenty-two states have Omicron infection, mainly confined to the metros like Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai; total number is around 1400 Omicron cases. Most of them are asymptomatic. Mostly it is detected in people coming from at-risk countries, though local transmission has also started. One death has been reported among the Omicron cases. Hospital admissions are one percent of cases, while ICU admissions are 0.1%. The government has said that any person who has fever, cough, headache, sore throat, breathlessness, body ache, recent loss of taste or smell, fatigue and diarrhoea should go to a center and test for Covid-19 or do self-test. RAT can be done at home. Notification is mandatory. Nearly 90% have received the single vaccine dose and 65% have received both doses. Now Covaxin has been approved for 15-18-year age group. Third dose called “precaution dose” for persons aged 60 years and above and those with comorbidities to be given 9 months after the second dose. The same vaccine as the initial vaccination will be given as of now. Mixing and matching of vaccines is yet to be decided. Molnupiravir has been granted EUA, the mainstay of management continues to be monoclonal antibodies given in daycare setting. 
• South Africa Update: The country is going through the fourth wave. In the last 24 hours, there are 11,754 cases and 84 deaths. Active cases are 193,000; recovery rate is 91.8%, hospital admissions in the last 24 hours are 9401; of these, 730 are in ICU and 309 are on ventilator. Last week, from 19^th -25^th Dec. the positivity rate was 35.3%. Hospital stay is ~2-3 days. Vaccination is slow. Healthcare workers are getting the booster. Later this month, senior citizens may be allowed to take the booster dose. No restrictions. Children are getting the infection. The new protocol said no quarantine for vaccinated or unvaccinated cases. Mild cases should isolate for 5 days and the severe and symptomatic cases should isolate for 10 days. 80-90% of Omicron cases were mild. Main symptoms were body ache and sore throat. Severe infections are in the immunocompromised and those with comorbidities.
• Japan Update: The country is facing the sixth wave due to omicron cases. The number of positive cases is around 300 per day. There are no serious patients. There is no increase in hospitalizations.
• Pakistan Update: The situation is quite controlled. In the last 24 hours, there were 556 new cases and 6 deaths. Over 70 million have received both doses and 96 million have got the first dose. Booster dose for 50+ has started. There are few cases of Omicron, but no hospitalizations yet due to omicron. People are presenting with mild flu-like symptoms; no severe disease. 
• Hong Kong Update: There are two local community cases of Omicron. There had been no community cases for almost 3 months. The fifth wave is impending; if it arrives, it will disrupt the border reopening. 72% of population has taken the first dose and 69% have received both doses. Booster dose is being given to the fully vaccinated. Many people are still resisting vaccination. The quarantine period for travelers is 21 days.

Participants

Member National Medical Associations

Dr Alvin Yee-Shing Chan, Hong Kong, Treasurer, CMAAO

Dr Marthanda Pillai, India Member World Medical Council, Advisor CMAAO

Dr Wasiq Qazi, Pakistan, President-elect CMAAO

Dr Ravi Naidu, Malaysia

Dr Akhtar Hussain, South Africa

Dr Benito Atienza, Philippines 

Dr Qaiser Sajjad, Pakistan 

Dr Md Jamaluddin Chowdhury, Bangladesh 

Dr Marie Uzawa Urabe, Japan

Invitees

Dr Mulazim Hussain Bukhari, Pakistan

Dr Anita Dhar

Dr S Sharma, Editor IJCP Group

Moderator

Mr Saurabh Aggarwal