By NewsDesk  @infectiousdiseasenews

The Malaysia Ministry of Health (MOH) reported 16 COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, making it the lowest daily count recorded to date. The cumulative number of COVID-19 positive cases in Malaysia is 6,742 cases, while the number of active cases with COVID-19 infection is 1,410 cases.

From the latest information reported to the National Crisis Preparedness and Response Center (CPRC), it has been reported that no COVID-19 related deaths have been reported so far. Thus, the cumulative number of COVID-19 deaths in Malaysia remains 109 (1.62 percent of the total).

Surveillance activity acts as early warning system and early detection for COVID-19 infection in Malaysia.

These activities include:

Clinical Surveys are detection and sampling of Influenza Like Illness (ILI) cases at sentinel locations (ie MOH Health Clinics) nationwide and Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) cases in all MOH hospitals.

As of the week of the 18th epidemic, 9,010 samples were taken from ILI / Sick patients. Of the total, 81 samples were COVID-19 positive (0.9 percent):

ILI Case: 14 COVID-19 positive cases out of 1,594 samples (0.88 percent)
SARI cases: 67 COVID-19 positive cases out of 7,416 samples (0.9 percent)
Overall, there was a decrease in the COVID-19 positive cases detected by SARI. By contrast, in the 13th week of the week, the positive rate was 8.7 percent (25 cases detected from 288 SARI samples). Meanwhile, during the 18th week of the week, the positive rate was 0.13 percent (ie one (1) case detected out of 772 SARI samples).

This suggests that the detection of serious and moderate serious SAR cases in COVID-19 patients is decreasing.

The COVID-19 screening for MOH health personnel until May 12, 2020, of which 11,470 samples were taken. A total of 65 MOH members were positively diagnosed with COVID-19.

COVID-19 screening on all patients before emergency and semi-emergency surgery at MOH hospital. As of May 12, 2020, there were seven (7) COVID-19 positive cases out of 8,528 screened patients (up 0.08 percent).

MOH also conducts a passive survey which includes notices received at the National Crisis Preparedness and Response Center (CPRC) for cases detected as Person Under Investigations (PUI) from both MOH and private facilities. To date, 95 positive cases have been detected from 30,155 tests conducted in these private laboratories (0.32 percent).

Surveillance activity in our country has been proactively pursued however, and many laboratory tests have been conducted. However, the positive rates detected through the surplus activity are declining and remain low for now. However, the MOH urged the public not to be alarmed by this decline. Again, the MoH would like to emphasize that the public’s compliance with the Conditional Movement Control Order, as well as the new norms and norms, are crucial in determining the COVID-19 positive case rate in Malaysia.