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span style="font-size:14px">By Melati Mohd Ariff
This is Bernama’s weekly roundup on COVID-19 and related matters in Malaysia and globally from May 7 till noon today.
In Malaysia cases numbers have exceeded 4.47 million and globally, the virus has infected more than 519 million people and caused over 6.2 million deaths. Some 474 million patients have so far recovered from the virus. The COVID-19 pandemic, which is now in its third year, has affected 226 countries and territories.
The COVID-19 pandemic, which is now in its third year, has affected 226 countries and territories.
KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama) – New COVID-19 daily cases in the country have bounced back with 3,410 cases reported yesterday (May 12) after staying below 1,500 level over the previous week.
The uptrend was seen since May 4 with 1,054 cases and a day before (May 3), the nation recorded the lowest daily caseload for the year with 922 infections.
Based on COVIDNOW daily data from the Ministry of Health (MOH) compiled by Bernama from May 7 to May 12, a total of 15,107 new daily cases were recorded from 8,216 from April 30 to May 5.
The Kuala Terengganu City Hall bus terminal is packed with passengers heading back to their respective destinations after spending the Raya break in the kampung. --fotoBERNAMA (2022) ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
With 3,410 new daily cases, cumulative COVID-19 cases now stood at 4,470,471. Total active cases rose to 26,826.
New daily COVID-19 cases during the week (May 7 to May 12) are as below:-
May 7 (1,372), May 8 (2,153), May 9 (2,246), May 10 (2,605), May 11 (3,321) and May 12 (3,410).
With a cumulative figure of 4,470,471 Malaysia is now ranked 23rd in the list of 226 nations/territories struck by the COVID-19 pandemic. Ahead of Malaysia is Ukraine (5,006,460) and Mexico (5,745,652).
According to Worldometer, of the list of 226 nations, the United States (US) took the top spot with the highest new daily cases 85,813 with 221 deaths followed by Germany with 82,652 cases (179 deaths) and Australia 57,314 cases (55 deaths).
The US also recorded the highest COVID-19 deaths exceeding one million with 1,026,108 cases.
Malaysians attend the Raya Aidilfitri Open House at Laman Sari, Seri Perdana, Putrajaya on May 8. --fotoBERNAMA (2022) ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Meanwhile MOH COVIDNOW data as at 11.59 pm yesterday showed active COVID-19 cases stood at 26,826 and of the total, 25,414 (94.7 per cent) were home quarantined.
A total of 33 cases (0.1 per cent) were at the COVID-19 Integrated Quarantine and Treatment Centre (PKRC); 1,328 cases (5.0 per cent) at hospitals; 17 cases (0.1 per cent) at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) without respiratory assistance (APB) while 34 cases (0.1 per cent) at the ICU with ABP.
Recovered COVID-19 patients yesterday stood at 1,430 cases, bringing the total recoveries to 4,408,043 cases.
Nurses, among the nation’s healthcare frontliners in the fight against COVID-19, at an event to celebrate International Nurses Day on May 12. --fotoBERNAMA (2022) ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Meanwhile, Malaysia's COVID-19 infectivity rate or Ro/Rt value during the week showed an increase after recording its lowest level at 0.52 on May 6 and surpassing 1.00 on May 11. Below is the breakdown for the week:
May 7 (0.54), 8 May 8 (0.64), May 9 (0.75), May 10 (0.90), May 11 (1.05) and May 12 (1.14).
As of yesterday, the state with the highest Ro/Rt value was Putrajaya (1.09) followed by Melaka (0.94) and Kelantan (0.92).
The R-Naught or R0/Rt value of a virus indicates the infectivity rate or the number of new infections generated by each case. An R0 value of 0.5 would be needed to flatten this deadly virus’ infection curve.
COVID-19 SCENARIO IN MALAYSIA
Latest Status of COVID-19 in Malaysia. New Cases by States. Source: MOH
Active cases with probable infection:-
May 7(23,276), May 8 (22,556), May 9 (22,368), May 10 (22,953), May 11 (24,850) and May 12 (26,826).
* The state-by-state breakdown in daily new cases (3,410) as of 11.59 pm yesterday (+imported cases) is as follows:-
Three digit new daily cases - Johor 124 (+2), Melaka 136 (+0), Negeri Sembilan 195 (+0), Perak 199 (+0), Penang 192 (+0), Selangor 1,691 (+0) and Kuala Lumpur 454 (+1).
Two digit new daily cases - Kedah 83(+0), Kelantan 32 (+0), Pahang 57 (+0), Perlis 9 (+1) , Sabah 57 (+0), Sarawak 54 (+0), Terengganu 33 (+1), Labuan 10 (+0) and Putrajaya 79 (+0).
New record cases, imported cases, local transmission:
The Malaysian contingent marched into the My Dinh National Stadium, Hanoi, during the official opening of the 31st SEA Games in Vietnam. --fotoBERNAMA (2022) ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
May 7 - New cases: 1,372; Cumulative: 4,456,736; Imported: 5.
May 8 - New cases: 2,153; Cumulative: 4,458,889; Imported: 2.
May 9 - New cases: 2,246; Cumulative: 4,461,135; Imported cases: 5.
May 10 – New cases: 2,605; Cumulative: 4,463,740; Imported cases: 4.
May 11 – New cases: 3,321; Cumulative: 4,467,061; Imported cases: 10.
May 12 - New cases: 3,410; Cumulative: 4,470,471; Imported cases: 5.
Meanwhile, total active clusters in the country as of yesterday stood at 61. Overall, a total of clusters were detected in the country with 7,011 of them having ended.’
During the week compiled by Bernama, only one (1) new cluster was detected, that is on May 11, with a detention centre cluster detected in Serian, Sarawak and 14 positive COVID-19 cases were detected as of May 11.
New record cases and the breakdown of clusters:-
May 7 - No cluster
May 8 - No cluster
May 9 - No cluster
May 10 - No cluster
May 11 - No cluster
May 12 - 1 (detention centre - Serian, Sarawak)
The daily breakdown in fatalities is as follows:
*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.
May 7 - 3 (BID 0), May 8 - 4 (BID 3), May 9 - 1 (BID 0), May 10 - 6 (BID 3), May 11 - 8 (BID 3), and May 12 - 4 (BID 0).
*Total fatalities as of yesterday stood at 35,602 cases.
GLOBAL COVID-19 STATISTICS
Current Worldwide Statistics on COVID-19 and COVID-19 Case Summary in Malaysia. worldometers.info/coronavirus
According to Worldometer, total COVID-19 cases globally to date stood at 519,737,077 compared to 516,447,605 the previous week with 6.284,597 fatalities from 6,274,493 previously. Total recovered cases stood at 474,518,239 from 471,124,276 the previous week.
Some 226 countries are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and those in the top 10 of the list are the US), India, Brazil, France, Germany, the United Kingdom (UK) , Russia, South Korea, Italy and Turkey.
The breakdown of the top 10 nations (+ new record daily cases) is as follows:
US 84,066,362 (+85,813);
India 43,116,600 (+3,187);
Brazil 30,639,130 (+21,344);
France 29,097,570 (+36,047);
Germany 25,665,910 (+82,652);
United Kingdom 22,159,615 (+14,458);
Russia 18,245,394 (+4,065);
South Korea 17,694,677 (+35,883);
Italy 16,954,784 (+39,317);
Turkey 15,050,227 (+1,778).
Besides Malaysia, the Southeast Asian nations namely Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Brunei, have joined the list of 125 countries with more than 100,000 COVID-19 cases.
The cumulative breakdown of COVID-19 cases (+new daily cases) is as follows:-
Vietnam 12th spot 12 -10,690,471 (+3,949);
Indonesia 19th spot - 6,049,876 (+335);
Malaysia 23rd spot - 4,470,471 (+3,410);
Thailand 24th spot - 4,353,237 (+8,109);
Philippines 32nd spot - 3,687,567 (+139);
Singapore 51st spot - 1,232,559 (+3,645);
Myanmar 78th spot - 613,088 (+6);
Laos 110th spot - 209,243 (+94);
Brunei 121st spot - 143,866 (+12); and
Cambodia 123rd spot - 136,262 (+no information).
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.
Translated by Salbiah Said
BERNAMA
