Covid-19: New daily cases below 400; active cases 10,377
KUALA LUMPUR - Only 1,796 Covid-19 cases were reported during the week compiled by Bernama from Jan 14 to Jan 19, down 28 per cent from 2,489 cases during the week Jan 7 to Jan 12.
New daily cases in the country remained at three-digit figures at the start of the third week of 2023, with daily cases below 400. The lowest figure for January to date was 227 cases reported on Jan 16.
Yesterday (Jan 19), 318 new daily cases were reported with Perlis and Labuan reporting zero cases.
Twelve states/territories reported two digits namely Selangor (94), Kuala Lumpur (71), Sarawak (20), Melaka (17), Sabah (16), Johor (15), Terengganu (13), Kedah (12), Negeri Sembilan (12), Perak (12), Penang (11) and Putrajaya (11).
States with one digit figures are Pahang (8) and Kelantan (6).
Total cumulative Covid-19 cases in the country, according to data from the Ministry of Health (MOH)’s MOHNOW as of 11.59 pm yesterday stood at 5,033,943 cases. Out of the remaining 10,377 active cases, 96 per cent (9,960 cases) were quarantined at home.
For the record, the first case of Covid-19 (previously known as 2019-nCOV) was reported on Jan 25, 2020, when three Chinese citizens, who had entered Malaysia through Johor from Singapore on Jan 23, were tested positive for the disease.
With a cumulative figure of 5,033,943 Covid-19 cases, Malaysia now ranked 28th in the list of 229 countries/territories hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. Ahead of Malaysia are Chile (5,096,886) and Ukraine (5,364,322).
According to Worldometer, of the list of 229 countries, Japan reported the highest new daily cases (96,392) followed by South Korea (29,816) and the United States (21,797).
On Covid-19 fatalities, the United States (US) reported the highest figure with 1,128,290 cases.
Below are new daily Covid-19 cases during the week compiled by Bernama from Jan 14 to Jan 19:-
Jan 14 (287), Jan 15 (244), Jan 16 (227), Jan 17 (350), Jan 18 (371) and Jan 19 (318).
New daily Covid-19 cases during the week compiled by Bernama from Jan 7 to Jan 13:-
Jan 7 (571), Jan 8 (405), Jan 9 (383), Jan 10 (380), Jan 11 (367), Jan 12 (383) and Jan 13 (320).
New daily Covid-19 cases in neighbouring Singapore for the week from Jan14 to Jan 19:-
Jan 14 (415), Jan 15 (309), Jan 16 (276), Jan 17 (553), Jan 18 (407) and Jan 19 (344).
COVID-19 SCENARIO IN MALAYSIA
(MOH data as of 11:59pm yesterday)
According to MOHNOW, out of 10,377 active Covid-19 cases, 9,960 (96 per cent) were quarantined at home.
Zero (0) case was reported at the Covid-19 Integrated Quarantine and Treatment Centre (PKRC); 398 cases (3.8 per cent) at hospitals; 4 cases (0 per cent) at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) without respiratory assistance (ABP) and 15 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 14 (150), Jan 15 (158), Jan 16 (173), Jan 17 (141), Jan 18 (151) and Jan 19 (158).
Recovered cases:-
Jan 14 (590), Jan 15 (401), Jan 16 (367), Jan 17 (349), Jan 18 (304) and Jan 19 (331).
* cumulative recovered cases as of 11.59pm yesterday stood at 4,986,643.
Imported cases:-
Jan 14 (1), Jan 15 (2), Jan 16 (4), Jan 17 (4), Jan 18 (1) and Jan 19 (1).
Active cases with probable infections:-
Jan 14 (10,634), Jan 15 (10,477), Jan 16 (10,331), Jan 17 (10,327), Jan 18 (10,390) and Jan 19 (10,377).
Breakdown in new daily cases (318 cases):-
*state-to-state breakdown as of 11.59pm yesterday
* (+imported cases)
Two digits - Selangor 94 (+0), Kuala Lumpur 71 (+0), Sarawak 20 (+0), Melaka 17 (+0),
Sabah 16 (+0), Johor 15 (+0), Terengganu 13 (+0), Kedah 12 (+0), Negeri Sembilan 12 (+0), Perak 12
(+0), Penang 11 (+0) and Putrajaya 11 (+0).
One digit - Pahang 8 (+0) and Kelantan 5 (+1).
Zero cases - Perlis and Labuan.
New record cases, imported cases, local transmission:
Jan 14 - New cases 287; Cumulative cases 5,032,433; imported cases 1
Jan 15 - New cases 244; Cumulative cases 5,032,677; Imported cases 2
Jan 16 - New cases 227; Cumulative cases 5,032,904; Imported cases 4
Jan 17 - New cases 350; Cumulative cases 5,033,254; Imported cases 4
Jan 18 - New cases 371; Cumulative cases 5,033,625; Imported cases 1
Jan 19 - New cases 318; Cumulative cases 5,033,943; Imported cases 1
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 14 - 0 (BID 0), Jan 15 - 0 (BID 0 ), Jan 16 - 6 (BID 2), Jan 17 - 5 (BID 2), Jan 18 - 4 (BID 1) and Jan 19 - 0 (BID 0).
*As of yesterday, Malaysia’s COVID-19 death toll stood at 36,923.
GLOBAL COVID-19 STATISTICS
According to Worldometer, total global COVID-19 cases stood at 672,528,083 compared to 670,814,498 cases during the previous week with 6,739,201 deaths (6,727,074 previously).
A total of 643,992,755 recovered cases were reported as against 642,033,588 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 103,807,909 (+21,797)
India 44,681,884 (+NA)
France 39,472,273 (+4,992)
Germany 37,649,808 (NA)
Brazil 36,713,006 (+15,922)
Japan 31,819,310 (+96.392)
South Korea 29,927,958 (+29,816)
Italy 25,363,742 (NA)
UK 24,243,393 (NA)
Russia 21,876,336(+5,914)
Below is a breakdown of cumulative COVID-19 cases and (+new daily cases) among Southeast Asian nations
*No information (NA).
Vietnam 13th spot - 11,526,284 (+30)
Indonesia 20th spot - 6,727,317 (+310)
Malaysia 28th spot - 5,033,843 (+318)
Thailand 31st spot - 4,725,885 (NA)
Philippines 37th spot - 4,071,151 (+251)
Singapore 45th spot - 2,213,435 (+344)
Myanmar 84th spot - 633,785 (+8)
Brunei 107th spot - 272,646 (NA)
Laos 113th spot - 217,935 (+1)
Cambodia 125th spot - 138,672 (+4)
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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. - BERNAMA
This is Bernama’s weekly roundup on Covid-19 and related matters in Malaysia and globally from Jan 14 to noon today.
In Malaysia, case numbers stood at 5.03 million and globally, the virus has infected more than 672 million people and caused over 6.73 million deaths. Some 643 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.
