By Melati Mohd Ariff
This is Bernama’s weekly roundup on COVID-19 and related matters in Malaysia and globally from Jan 28 to noon today.
In Malaysia, case numbers surpassed 5.03 million and globally, the virus has infected more than 675 million people and caused some 6.76 million deaths. A total of 648 million patients have so far recovered from the virus.
The COVID-19 pandemic, which is now in its fourth year, has affected 229 countries and territories.
KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama) – New daily COVID-19 cases for the week compiled by Bernama from Jan 28 to Feb 2 surged 42 per cent to 1,629 from the previous week.
For the record, new daily cases for the period Jan 21 to Jan 26 totalled 1,149, with the highest figure at 293 recorded on Jan 21. The lowest case was at 101 recorded on Jan 24.
New daily COVID-19 cases yesterday stood at 324 with four (4) imported and zero death cases. Zero deaths were reported on Feb 1, Jan 31 and Jan 29.
Active COVID-19 cases in the country rose slightly to 10,073 and of the total, 9,653 (95.8 per cent) were home quarantined.
According to the Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH)’s MOHNOW data as of 11.59pm yesterday, out of 324 new daily cases yesterday, Selangor recorded three digit figures with 138 infections. Labuan reported zero case.
Eight (8) states reported two digit figures namely Kuala Lumpur (68), Perak (17), Sarawak (16), Melaka (14), Penang (13), Negeri Sembilan (11), Terengganu (11) and Kedah (10).
Six (6) states recorded one digit figures namely Johor (8), Sabah (6),Putrajaya (5), Pahang (5), Kelantan (1) and Perlis (1).
Total cumulative COVID-19 cases in the country as of yesterday stood at 5,037,242 with 4,990,227 recoveries and 36,942 deaths. The COVID-19 pandemic hit the nation on Jan 25, 2020. Malaysia entered the transition to endemic phase on April 1, 2022.
With a cumulative figure of 5,037,242 cases, Malaysia now ranked 28th in the list of 229 countries/territories hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Ahead of Malaysia are Chile (5,123,007 cases) and Ukraine (5,373,104 casess).
According to Worldometer, of the list of 229 countries, Japan reported the highest new daily cases (45,299) followed by Taiwan (27,085) and Brazil (19,973).
On COVID-19 fatalities, the US reported the highest figure with 1,135,332 cases.
Below are new daily COVID-19 cases during the week compiled by Bernama from Jan 28 to Feb 2:- (MOHNOW data from the Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH) as of 11.59pm yesterday)
Jan 28 (258), Jan 29 (269), Jan 30 (202), Jan 31 (251), Feb 1 (325) and Feb 2 (324).
Below are new daily COVID-19 cases during the week compiled by Bernama from Jan 21 to Jan 27:-
Jan 21 (293), Jan 22 (309), Jan 23 (142), Jan 24 (101), Jan 25 (132), Jan 26 (172) and Jan 27 (236).
Daily COVID-19 cases in neighbouring Singapore from Jan 28 to Feb 2 are as below:-
Jan 28 (362), Jan 29 (296), Jan 30 (273), Jan 31 (652), Feb 1 (465) and Feb 2 (475).
COVID-19 SCENARIO IN MALAYSIA
(MOHNOW data as of 11.59pm yesterday)
According to MOHNOW, out of 10,073 active COVID-19 cases, 9,653 (95.8 per cent) were quarantined at home.
Zero (0) case was reported at the COVID-19 Integrated Quarantine and Treatment Centre (PKRC); 408 cases (4.1 per cent) at hospitals; 6 cases (0.1 per cent) at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) without respiratory assistance (ABP) and 6 cases (0.1 per cent) at the ICU with ABP.
For the record, there are five categories of COVID-19 infections:-
According to MOH, Category 1 is for patients with no symptoms; Category 2 is for patients with mild symptoms; Category 3 is for patients with pneumonia; Category 4 is for patients who require supplemental oxygen; and Category 5 is for the critically ill and need to be on ventilator support at the ICU.
Total patients warded:-
Jan 28 (156), Jan 29 (139), Jan 30 (162), Jan 31 (156), Feb 1 (124) and Feb 2 (164).
Recovered cases:-
Jan 28 (309), Jan 29 (285), Jan 30 (141 Jan 31 (0), Feb 1 (113) and Feb 2 (148).
*cumulative recovered cases as of 11.59pm yesterday stood at 4,990,227.
Imported cases:-
Jan 28 (2), Jan 29 (3), Jan 30 (4), Jan 31 (0), Feb 1 (2) and Feb 2 (4).
Active cases with probable infections:-
Jan 28 (9,496), Jan 29 (9,480), Jan 30 (9,539), Jan 31 (9,790), Feb 1 (9,897) and Feb 2 (10,073).
*state-to-state breakdown as of 11.59pm yesterday
*(+imported cases)
Three digits - Selangor 138 (+0);
Two digits - Kuala Lumpur 67 (+1), Perak 17 (+0), Sarawak 16 (+0), Melaka 12 (+2), Penang 13 (+0), Negeri Sembilan 11 (+0), Terengganu 11 (+0) and Kedah 9 (+1).
One digit - Johor 8 (+0), Sabah 6 (+0), Putrajaya 5 (+0), Pahang 5 (+0), Kelantan 1 (+0) and Perlis 1 (+0).
Zero case - Labuan
New record cases, imported cases, local transmission:
Jan 28 - New cases 258; Cumulative cases 5,035,871; Imported cases 2
Jan 29 - New cases 269; Cumulative cases 5,036,140; Imported cases 3
Jan 30 - New cases 202; Cumulative cases 5,036,342; Imported cases 4
Jan 31- New cases 251; Cumulative cases 5,036,593; Imported cases 0
Feb 1 - New cases 325; Cumulative cases 5,036,918; Imported cases 2
Feb 2 - New cases 324; Cumulative cases 5,037,242; Imported cases 4
Record death cases are as below:-
*BID = Brought-in-Dead are cases outside the hospital and those brought to the hospital's forensic department; positive COVID-19 cases after PT PCR tests conducted.
Jan 28 - 2 (BID 1), Jan 29 - 0 (BID 0), Jan 30 - 2 (BID 0), Jan 31 - 0 (BID 0), Feb 1 - 0 (BID 0) and Feb 2 - 0 (BID 0).
*As of yesterday, Malaysia’s COVID-19 death toll stood at 36,942.
GLOBAL COVID-19 STATISTICS
According to Worldometer, total global COVID-19 cases stood at 675,747,480 compared to 672,842,041 cases during the previous week with 6,767,354 deaths (6,756,690 previously).
A total of 648,057,449 recovered cases were reported as against 646,675,626 previously.
Some 229 countries are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and those in the top 10 of the list are the US, India, France, Germany, Brazil, Japan, South Korea, Italy, the United Kingdom (UK) and Russia.
The breakdown of the top 10 nations (+ new record daily cases) is as follows:-
*No information (NA).
US 104,391,857 (+14,400)
India 44,682,895 (+NA)
France 39,533,323 (+4,506)
Germany 37,796,790 (NA)
Brazil 36,857,916 (+19,973)
Japan 32,633,741 (+45,299)
South Korea 30,213,928 (+16,862)
Italy 25,453,789 (NA)
UK 24,274,361 (NA)
Russia 21,967,983 (+9,287)
Below is a breakdown of cumulative COVID-19 cases and (+new daily cases) among Southeast Asian nations, including Malaysia:-
*No information (NA).
Vietnam 13th spot - 11,526,522 (+14)
Indonesia 20th spot - 6,730,537 (+248)
Malaysia 28th spot - 5,037,242 (+324)
Thailand 31st spot - 4,726,984 (NA)
Philippines 37th spot - 4,073,504 (+145)
Singapore 45th spot - 2,218,050 (+475)
Myanmar 84th spot - 633,836 (+3)
Brunei 107th spot - 276,067 (NA)
Laos 113th spot - 217,977 (+4)
Cambodia 125th spot - 138,694 (+1)
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COVID-19 BACKGROUND
-- The World Health Organisation (WHO)’s China country office was informed of cases of pneumonia that were detected in Wuhan on Dec 31, 2019. On Jan 7, 2020 the Chinese authorities confirmed that the newly detected novel coronavirus can be transmitted from human to human.
-- Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-COV).
-- A study of the virus’ genetic sequence suggested similarities to that seen in snakes and bats. China health officials identified the Huanan Seafood Market in Wuhan as the source of the transmission of the coronavirus.
-- On Feb 11, 2020, WHO announced the official name of the virus, COVID-19, which is an acronym for coronavirus 2019 – CO stands for corona, VI for virus and D for disease.
-- On Jan 30, 2020, WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak as a global emergency and on March 11, COVID-19 was declared a pandemic.
-- WHO has described the COVID-19 outbreak as much more dangerous than the A H1N1 Influenza, also known as Swine Flu.
-- Swine Flu, which occurred between January 2009 and August 2010, infected more than 1.6 million people and caused 18,449 fatalities. It was first detected in Mexico and later in the United States in March 2009.
-- COVID-19 was detected in Malaysia on Jan 25, 2020, when three Chinese citizens, who had entered Malaysia through Johore from Singapore on Jan 23, were tested positive for the disease.
-- New variants of the COVID-19 coronavirus have since emerged in the United Kingdom (identified as B117) in September 2020, South Africa (501Y.V2) in October 2020 and India (B.1.617), also in October 2020.
-- Cumulatively, Malaysia's COVID-19 cases have breached the one million mark as on July 25, with 1,013,438 cases. The first time daily cases reached the five-digit level was on July 13 with 11,079 cases.
-- WHO on Nov 26 designated a new variant of COVID-19, named Omicron, a variant of concern. It was first detected in Gauteng Province, South Africa.
-- Scientists at the IHU have detected a new variant named B.1.640.2 at end-November last year, with 46 mutations on its spike protein and nicknamed it IHU.
-- Meanwhile, Israel has confirmed its first case of an individual infected with 'Flurona', a term coined to describe the condition of being infected with COVID-19 and the seasonal flu simultaneously. (Jan 2, 2022).
-- April 1, 2022 - Malaysia enters the transition to endemic phase of COVID-19 as an exit strategy that allows Malaysians to return to normalcy after almost two years of battling COVID-19.
-- May 1, 2022 - On April 27, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin announced the -- easing of several restrictions, which include the lifting of the requirement for check-ins on MySejahtera effective May 1.
-- The pre endemic scenario shows the XBB variant was dominant in the spread of COVID-19 in the country based on the genetic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 throughout December 2022, comprising 55.4 per cent, followed by the BA.2.75 variant (20.8 per cent) and BQ.1 variant (10.8 per cent).
-- The XBB variant was the main variant spreading among Malaysians since October 2022. Both the XBB and BA.2.75 variants are categorised by WHO as Lineage Under Monitoring (LUM).
-- One of the Omicron sub-variants originally detected in October 2022 is XBB.1.5, a recombinant of two BA.2 sublineages. It is on the rise in the US and Europe and has now been identified in more than 25 countries.
-- Some scientists have nicknamed the XBB.1.5 Omicron strain as ‘Kraken’ with the potential of spawning more dangerous variants. WHO has announced that it had commissioned a risk assessment that outlines the new threats the XBB.1.5 variant poses, if any.
-- In China, the BA.5.2 and BF.7 variants accounted for almost 80 per cent of the variants that are currently found to be spreading rapidly in the republic.
Translated by Salbiah Said
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