Newly-vaccinated housewife triggers new cluster in Sabah

 

A housewife in Sabah experienced Covid-19 symptoms and tested positive two days after being vaccinated.

KOTA KINABALU: A housewife who had just been vaccinated was found to have contracted Covid-19 in Sabah and to have infected at least 12 people.

The 30-year-old woman and 14 other friends had received their vaccination on July 24, said state Covid-19 spokesman Masidi Manjun.

Two days later, the housewife was confirmed positive for the virus after a test at the Tongod health office on July 26. She had experienced symptoms such as coughing, fever and flu, as did her friends.

He added the friends are still waiting for their RT-PCR test results.

To allay public concern, Masidi explained that it had been announced many times that vaccination was not 100% protection from Covid-19 infection. “But the severity is very much less than if you are not vaccinated and the disease is not life threatening,” he said.

He said close contact screenings found nine people infected around the housewife’s place of residence.

“Until today, further screenings and test samplings as well as disinfection are being carried out by the investigation team to assess a wider infection risk on other villagers in the vicinity,” said Masidi, who is state minister for housing and local government.

Mosque infection affects 53 others

On the other new cluster in Sabah today, Masidi said the Gambaron Dua cluster in Telupid also involved another community transmission where people congregating at a mosque subsequently infected their family members.

The index case was a 29-year-old man who experienced symptoms since July 22 before a screening confirmed he was infected at a health clinic the following day, he said.

He added the index case was infected by a friend from Tawau who was a close contact from a positive case at FGV Tanah Mas plantation in Telupid.

“For three days starting from July 15, the index case performed prayers together with his friends at the Telupid town mosque in Kampung Gambaron Dua.

“So far 95 people have been screened, with 53 confirmed positive for the virus including 41 new cases today,” he said.

Masidi said 916 out of the 1,035 cases detected in the past 24 hours comprised Sabahans while four other were imported cases from Selangor (2) and one each from Kelantan and Labuan. - FMT