By Lim Sue Goan, Sin Chew Daily

I used to think that Malaysians could take a breather from the ravaging coronavirus after the vaccine rollout. What I never expected was that the outbreak was actually gaining in momentum.

WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has sternly warned that the virus is expected to get more deadly this year than last year, and with lopsided distribution of vaccines among nations, the number of people dying from the coronavirus this year is bound to be higher!

The world health body has also said the Indian variant B.1.617 is of "global concern", meaning the variant is even more lethal and infective and would likely be immune to existing COVID-19 vaccines. Prior to this, WHO also called the South African variant B.1.351, British variant B.1.1.7 and Brazilian variant B.1.1.28 (P1) as variants of "global concern".

The B.1.617 double mutant variant has turned India into a hell on Earth, with daily new infection numbers increasing steadily from 200,000 to 300,000 and even more than 400,000, with about 4,000 deaths daily. With crematoriums across the country bursting at the seams , some 2,000 unburned bodies have been dumped directly into the Ganges!

Not only India, neighboring countries like Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan have all been ravaged by the new variant.

So far the Indian variant has spread to 44 countries and territories around the world, including the UK, Singapore and Malaysia. With the Indian variant now spreading fast in some parts of the UK, the country is now expediting its administration of second doses of COVID-19 vaccines.

Meanwhile, Singapore is also tightening its grips, banning all indoor activities that involve removal of face masks and reducing the number of participants in social gatherings from five to only two. Restaurants will only provide takeaway services while the country's immunization strategy is being reviewed so that more people will at least get their first doses.

Thanks to the invasion of the British variant, once the region's star performer Taiwan has also had its formidable defense line breached, reporting over 300 cases a day with new restrictions being imposed on the capital city Taipei and adjoining New Taipei City.

Nations around the world have remained highly alert. As for Malaysia which has detected the Indian, South African and British variants here must never let down its guard. The announcement of MCO 3.0 by prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is a right move, but SOPs must also be tightened further so that the virus will not get a chance to attack.

We reported an additional 98,353 new cases in a month between April 16 and May 15, along with 503 deaths. The mortality rate last week was 53.7% higher than the week before.

As a matter of fact, mutant variants have been detected here months ago. The first case involving the British variant was reported on January 11, and the second case on February 5.

Our second COVID-19 case involving the Indian variant arrived in Malaysia on April 7 and tested negative twice before a positive result on April 21 and death on May 1. We therefore cannot rule out the possibility that the mutant variants have triggered the latest explosion of new cases in this country.

Statistics showed that the number of tests carried out decreased sharply by 46% from 87,458 on the eve of Hari Raya (May 12) to 47,480 on the third day of Raya. The positive rates during the festive season were well above the WHO recommended 5% for three days in a row, while fewer tests were carried out, showing the lax attitude we had in fighting the virus.

Professor Dr Sazaly Abu Bakar, director of Tropical Infectious Diseases Research & Education Center (TIDREC) at Universiti Malaya, has warned that a new local variant could have already developed here, triggering a recent spike in new reported cases.

We cannot afford to treat the virus lightly. While in the past some people with light symptoms might see the quarantine centers as holiday resorts, we can no longer do the same today.

Getting infected with the virus is something very painful. You have to wait for up to ten hours at a crowded CAC (COVID assessment center) and then stay in an equally crowded quarantine and low-risk treatment center (PKRC). More and more young patients present severe symptoms while ICUs at government and private hospitals are almost fully taken up. Due to the rapid rise in deaths, the Sungai Buloh Hospital has to acquire containers as makeshift mortuaries.

Stop the tidak apa attitude before it's too late!