Covid-19: Trend continues with more recoveries than new cases

By Xavier Kong

DURING his daily update of the status of the Covid-19 outbreak in Malaysia, Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah shared that the trend continues with more recoveries than new cases.

There were 110 new cases confirmed against 119 recoveries today, for a total of 5,182 confirmed cases in Malaysia, with 2,766 recoveries to date. This means 2,332 remain in treatment, with 56 of that number being treated in intensive care units, of which 29 are on ventilator support. Another death was also reported, bringing the death toll to 84.

He reiterated that those above the age of 60 are considered at high risk from Covid-19, with most of the incidents attributed to the age range. He said that those at high risk should seek immediate treatment, even if they only have mild symptoms, as early treatment has a significant effect on the likelihood of recovery.

He calls on the family of the at-risk population to make sure they get immediate treatment, to have a sufficient supply of the required medication, and to stick to treatment appointments. He also asked that Malaysians take advantage of the value-added services of pharmacies, such as delivery through post, drive-through purchasing, and other measures.

According to Dr Noor Hisham, to date, test samples from more than 90,000 individuals have been taken, with total cases coming up to 5,182, accounting for about 5% of the total.

“We are taking a focused approach, focused on the location and high risk groups. Looking into the total cases shows about 40% are involved in the tabligh group. We also have 28 clusters which we are focusing on,” he said, adding that the ministry is also focusing on certain locations where increases have been detected, with Enhanced Movement Control Orders (EMCOs) for those areas while screening everyone.

With regard to concerns about old folks’ homes and foreign workers, the Ministry of Health (MoH) is working with other agencies, including non-government organisations, to screen these. However, there are no clusters forming, according to Dr Noor Hisham.

There is also the hope that, within 14 days, green zones can be identified, be they states, districts, or even villages. Part of the exit strategy from the Movement Control Order (MCO) state involves protecting these green areas.

Dr Noor Hisham also clarified that there are 18 items that form personal protective equipment (PPE) and that the rate of use in Malaysia is 59 million a month. He shared that the situation regarding the supply of PPE is being monitored closely to ensure the MoH receives enough for use. As it stands, the ministry has already engaged various industries in terms of fabricating PPE in Malaysia.

On the question of confirmed cases in children, he shared that there are 315 cases within the 0-14 age range. Usually, these children would have been infected by their family members.

“We then place the family together. However, in the event the child is infected but the parents are not, the parents will have to give written consent if they want to take care of their child, and we encourage them to don PPE while doing so,” he said.

Dr Noor Hisham also shared that there is no concrete proof that sanitiser tunnels will get rid of the virus, adding that even the World Health Organisation (WHO) has found no evidence that this will help. Conversely, he warned that there may well be drawbacks, due to the risk of the chemicals entering the eyes or when inhaled, which can cause complications.

On the issue of the discharge process, the guidelines now require one negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test for discharge, with lab capacity remaining at 11,500. However, the process has been innovated and streamlined, which includes an antibody test, which serves the purpose of monitoring the patient, rather than detecting the virus. Detection of the antibodies will result in a follow-up PCR test, as it would mean exposure to the virus. If the PCR test comes back negative, the discharge process continues. However, should it come back positive, the patient is admitted for treatment.

Right now, however, antigen rapid test kits from South Korea are being tested, with the tests being of higher accuracy than the antibody test, while being able to be done at the point of care without needing the sample to be sent to any of the 43 labs currently tasked with processing samples. The antigen test kits would also allow more mass screenings at targeted locations or high risk groups. – April 16, 2020