Young Adults at Risk of COVID-19
By: Bhavanpreet Kaur
Editor: Chan Lyn Yi
BANGI, 18 Jan: Based on the recent spike of COVID-19 cases in Malaysia, not only the older generation with severe illness are at a high risk of contracting the virus, but healthy young adults are vulnerable to COVID-19 infection too.
Malaysia hit its highest daily record of COVID-19 cases on January 16 where a record of 4029 COVID-19 positive cases were recorded for the first time ever since this country was hit with the pandemic.
Eight more deaths were also recorded which brought the total deaths in this country to 594 deaths. The Health Ministry also expects over 8000 daily COVID-19 cases by March 2021 in Malaysia if the infectivity rate increases to 1.2.
Nadi Bangi interviewed a student, Kavesha Sanmugam,22, a COVID-19 patient who tested positive two weeks ago, who contracted the virus after being a close contact with a family member who was also COVID-19 positive. Kavesha said when she found out she had the virus, she immediately contacted those who had come in contact with her to inform them too.
She said she did not have severe symptoms other than flu and lost of smell and taste. She also said she was very grateful of all the frontliners who have done their duty well until today and urged everyone not to take this virus lightly.
Another university student, who only wanted to be known as Chong, 23, a COVID-19 patient from Bentong, Pahang who tested positive for COVID-19 on January 14th. When asked on how he had contracted the virus, he said he only went out to get groceries and wore his mask and practiced social distancing, but 2 days later he started having symptoms and got tested.
“I had most of the symptoms for COVID-19 despite being only 23 years old. I had shortness of breath, bad cough, loss of taste and smell, sore throat, high fever, diarrhea and lungs pain.”
Chong also added that when he received his test results, he was shocked. His mind had gone blank. He was also scared for himself and his family.
“Why am I the one who contracted the virus? Why is it me when I always wear a mask when I go out, always sanitize my hands and also practice social distancing?”
Chong said that despite testing positive with COVID-19 and having really bad symptoms, he had to stay at home for 2 days. This might have been because of the large increase of COVID-19 patients in Malaysia and the limited number of front liners and facilities available at the hospitals.
“After two days, I was taken to Hospital Bentong by an ambulance.”
When asked on his stay at the hospital, Chong said that he was being quarantine in a separate room. The doctors and nurses had only given him medicines when he had a fever or cough. Other than that, it was mostly resting and drinking lots of vitamin C drinks.
Chong also said that he was very satisfied with the treatment given to COVID-19 patients. They were given breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner every day on time and he is very thankful to the front liners who are working very hard to curb the virus.
When asked on his advice to Malaysians out there, Chong said “Please stay at home as much as you can and follow all the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP). The virus is everywhere. If you have to go out, make sure you wear a mask and sanitize everything that you use. Once you are back home, take a bath immediately. Don’t hang around and gather with your friends at these times. Exercise more and also take vitamin C medicines to boost our immune systems.”
