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HFMD surge could be due to previous COVID-19 restrictions

Jun 10, 2022

Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin believes the two-year COVID-19 pandemic played a big role in the current surge in hand, foot, and mouth disease cases.

He says it's because children were forced to stay indoors amid the pandemic, and this lowered their immunity against HFMD.

However, KJ expects HFMD cases to drop within the next two to three weeks.

He says the outbreak is usually seasonal, with cases to go down once the immunity level of children increases.

He adds that most cases are not serious, however, parents are advised to seek immediate treatment for their kids if they show symptoms.

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Shortage of meds could be linked to earlier spread of Omicron and current HFMD situation

The Health Minister says the short supply of medicines, particularly at certain pharmacies and private health facilities may not be due to panic buying.

Khairy Jamaluddin says the shortage could be because of a high demand for certain medicines following the earlier spread of the COVID-19 Omicron variant and the rising cases of hand, foot, and mouth disease now.

He adds that the meds claimed to be in short supply are for common ailments such as flu, and fever.

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MATTA optimistic of tourism industry, despite challenges

The Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents says the tourism sector still faces challenges, particularly a shortage in manpower.

However, MATTA says it is confident the industry will continue to improve and pick up where it left off before the pandemic

It also expects the number of tourist arrivals to Malaysia to reach five million by the end of this year.