COVID: No cases of Omicron XE in Malaysia so far - Khairy

IPOH: Malaysia has so far not recorded any cases of the new Omicron XE variant, a new mutation, which is more contagious than any of the other COVID-19 variants, says Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

He said the ministry was currently following the developments and studying the characteristics of this variant that had been reported in other countries including Thailand in order to identify its infectivity rate and seriousness to patients.

"The Omicron variants, for example, have higher number of cases than the Delta but their seriousness is about average compared to the Delta, hence the intensive care units are not full like before.

"We need to look into this new variant that is occurring in other countries, whether its infectivity rate or seriousness is high, then only we take the appropriate measures," he said at a news conference after visiting Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital (HRPB), here, today.

Earlier, Khairy visited a 138-year-old building and the Long COVID and Rehabilitation Ward, the first in Perak, at Batu Gajah Hospital, near here, before visiting the Ipoh Public Health Laboratory.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has reportedly warned about the Omicron XE, a new mutation of the Omicron variant, which is more contagious than the other COVID-19 variants.

WHO, through its latest report, states that this variant is a recombinant strain, a mutant hybrid of Omicron BA.1 and BA.2.

-- BERNAMA