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I refer to the report, “ ” (May 9). As a nurse in a public hospital, I remember the time when the healthcare sector in Singapore was overwhelmed during the Covid-19 pandemic. The elderly, especially those with chronic illnesses, need to keep up-to-date with their vaccination. We need to be prepared for the new Omicron variant. The symptoms of the new variant are similar to those of upper respiratory infection, including fever, sore throat, runny nose, fatigue, cough, headaches and muscle pain. Many patients also report itchy eyes and conjunctivitis, symptoms not seen in previous Covid-19 cases. The new variant is also highly infectious.  The elderly were one of the first to be vaccinated against Covid-19 and by now their immunity would be waning. Everyone, especially the elderly, should get their vaccination updated as soon as possible to make Singapore more Covid-19 resilient.