Due to the rapidly shifting weather at this time of year, a senior health official says it’s not unusual for so many Malaysians to be down with the flu – it happens every year.
Health Ministry national adviser on infectious diseases Dr Christopher Lee said global warming and climate change just exacerbate the annual pattern of people contracting the flu and coughs.
“There is no way to say for certain that it is the weather that causes this increase but global warming does affect the health of people and has even increased the spread of dengue,” he told The Star Online.
He added that similar to how flu cases and other respiratory tract infections see a rise during winter months in temperate regions, so too does Malaysia experience the same during the hot and rainy seasons.
“The spike may not be as obvious because the weather variations here are not as intense but there is a significant difference,” he said.
Dr Lee however did not discount the spread of new viral strains in the increase of sick people in the country.
“The flu strain is also a factor; there will be a sharp increase (in cases) whenever a different virus comes about,” he said.
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