Covid-19: Fifty-one education clusters detected in 6 days

A total of 51 clusters or 66.2 percent of 77 new clusters reported by the Ministry of Health (MOH) during the week from Jan 15 to Jan 20 were linked to educational institutions.

The highest of the education cluster was recorded on Jan 19 with 16 clusters out of 20 new clusters detected, followed by yesterday’s case (Jan 20) with 11 education clusters out of 17 new clusters. On Jan 18, of 17 new clusters detected, 11 were from the education cluster.

In Malacca, the state health department reported its Covid-19 education cluster cases at two vocational colleges namely Kolej Vokasional Melaka Tengah (76 cases) and Kolej Vokasional Datuk Seri Abu Zahar (11 cases).

In Sabah, among the education cluster detected was Jalan Kepayan Lama-Tambunan cluster involving Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Tambunan hostel and to date, 36 positive Covid-19 cases were detected.

In Kedah, education cluster cases included Dah Penyarum (115 cases) and Dah Jalan Merbau (52 cases) while Penang reported its education cluster cases at Jalan Sungai Nipah (83 cases).

Meanwhile, imported cases in Malaysia remained at three-digit numbers and yesterday (Jan 20), 522 imported cases were reported, comprising 426 citizens and 96 non-citizens. The imported cases were the highest reported in the country since the start of 2022.

Kuala Lumpur continues to report the highest imported cases, with 274 cases reported yesterday (new daily cases 202).

Other high imported cases during the week were recorded on Jan 16 (145 cases), Jan 18 (135 cases) and Jan 19 (136 cases).

MOH data of imported cases nationwide for the week are as follows:

• Jan 15 - 319 cases (216 citizens, 103 non-citizens);
• Jan 16 - 263 cases (204 citizens; 59 non-citizens);
• Jan 17 - 180 cases (114 citizens; 66 non-citizens);
• Jan 18 - 274 cases (187 citizens; 87 non-citizens);
• Jan 19 - 239 cases (175 citizens; 64 non-citizens);
• Jan 20 - 522 cases (426 citizens; 96 non-citizens).

During the week (Jan 15 to Jan 20), new daily cases dropped below 3,000 once on Jan 17 with 2,342 cases, and yesterday’s Covid-19 cases edged nearer to 4,000.

As at noon yesterday, 3,764 cases were recorded, bringing the cumulative figure to 2,820,927.

MOH data on new daily cases for the week are as follows:

Jan 15 (3,074), Jan 16 (3,010), Jan 17 (2,342), Jan 18 (3,245), Jan 19 (3,229) and Jan 20 (3,764).

With a cumulative figure of 2,820,927 cases, Malaysia now ranked 21st in the list of 222 nations/territories struck by the Covid-19 pandemic. Ahead of Malaysia is the Philippines ((3,324,478 cases) and South Africa (3,572,860 cases).

Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said, of 3,764 new daily cases yesterday, only 47 cases (1.2 percent) were categories 3, 4 and 5; while 3,717 cases (98.8 pe cent) were categories 1 and 2.

According to MOH, category 5 is for critical cases requiring ventilators; category 4 is for patients needing oxygen assistance and category 3 is for patients with pneumonia. Category 1 is for patients who are asymptomatic and category 2 is for those with mild symptoms.

A total of 3,254 recovered Covid-19 cases were reported yesterday, bringing the total cumulative figure to 2,747,457 cases (97.4 percent).

Of 125 confirmed Covid-19 cases at the Intensive Care Unit, 55 needed respiratory assistance.

Meanwhile, Malaysia's Covid-19 infectivity rate or Ro/Rt value based on estimated daily cases yesterday was below 1.00 while the state breakdown during the week is as follows:

Jan 15 (0.99), Jan 16 (1.0), Jan 17 (0.98), Jan 18 (0.99), Jan 19 (1.0) and Jan 20 (1.0).

As of yesterday, Kuala Lumpur recorded the highest Ro/Rt value at 1.13.

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.

Omicron, VOC, VOI cases

Meanwhile, MOH reported on Jan 18, for the period Jan 14 to Jan 18, 186 new variant cases were detected, all of them were Variant of Concern (VOI), namely Omicron (B.1.1.529).

This brings the cumulative cases infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus categorised as VOC and Variant of Interest (VOI) to 6,432 cases.

Of the 6,432 cases, 6,412 were VOC while 20 were VOI.

Overall for VOC, 5,726 cases were Delta variant, 439 Omicron variant, 233 Beta and 14 Alpha. Of the VOI cases, 13 were Theta variant, four (4) were Kappa variant and three (3) were Eta variant.

Covid-19 scenario in Malaysia

Of the total new daily cases of 3,764 reported yesterday, the state-by-state breakdown in new daily cases as of yesterday ((+imported cases) is as follows:

Three-digit new daily cases - Johor 391 (+23), Kedah 231 (+44), Kelantan 349 (+11), Melaka 159 (+8), Negeri Sembilan 180 (+38), Pahang 238 (+6), Perak 118 (+6), Penang 219 (+6), Sabah 256, Selangor 796 (+98) and Kuala Lumpur 202 (+274).

Two-digit new daily cases - Terengganu 60 (+5), Putrajaya 17 (+3), Sarawak 14 and Perlis 11.

One-digit new daily new cases - Labuan 1.

New cases, imported cases, local transmission:

• Jan 15 – New cases: 3,074 cases (cumulative 2,805,337); Imported cases: 319 cases (216 citizens; 103 non-citizens); Local transmission); 2,755 cases [2,625 citizens (95.3 percent); 130 non-citizens (4.7 percent)];

• Jan 16 – New cases : 3,010 cases (cumulative 2,808,347); Imported cases: 263 cases (204 citizens; 59 non-citizens); Local transmission: 2,747 cases [2,634 citizens (95.9 percent); 113 non-citizens (4.1 percent)];

• Jan 17 – New cases : 2,342 cases (cumulative 2,810,689); Imported cases : 180 cases (114 citizens; 66 non-citizens); Local transmission: 2,162 cases [2,105 citizens (97.4 percent); 57 non-citizens (2.6 percent)];

• Jan 18 – New cases : 3,245 cases (cumulative 2,813,934); Imported cases: 274 cases (187 citizens; 87 non-citizens); Local transmission : 2,971 cases [2,882 citizens (97.0 percent); 89 non-citizens (3.0 percent)];

• Jan 19 – New cases : 3,229 cases (cumulative 2,817,163); Imported cases: 239 cases (175 citizens; 64 non-citizens); Local transmission : 2,990 cases [2,899 citizens (97.0 percent); 91 non-citizens (3.0 percent)];

• Jan 20 – New cases : 3,764 cases(cumulative 2,820,927); Imported cases: 522 cases (426 citizens; 96 non-citizens); Local transmission : 3,242 cases [3,089 citizens (95.3 percent); 153 non-citizens (4.7 percent)].

Meanwhile, total active clusters in Malaysia as of yesterday stood at 214. Overall, 6,272 clusters were detected in the country with 6,058 of them having ended.

Based on MOH’s CovidNow data, a total of 77 new clusters were reported during the week under review from Jan 15 to Jan 20 as against 35 new clusters during the previous week from Jan 7 to Jan 14.

Of 77 new clusters, the highest was the education cluster with 51 cases (66.2 percent) followed by the workplace with 15 cases (19.5 percent).

This was in comparison with 35 new clusters during the previous week from Jan 8 to Jan 14, with most of the clusters linked to the workplace, 11 (31.4 percent) and education, 8 (22.9 percent).

Active cases with probable infection:-

Jan 15 (40,785), Jan 16 (41,199), Jan 17 (40,619), Jan 18 (40,761), Jan 19 (41,129) and Jan 20 (41,617).

Other development in the country

The breakdown of Covid-19 patients based on their respective categories:

According to MOH, category 5 is for critical cases requiring ventilators; category 4 is for patients needing oxygen assistance and category 3 is for patients with pneumonia. Category 1 is for patients who are asymptomatic and category 2 is for those with mild symptoms.

Of 3,074 daily cases reported on Jan 15;

• 30 cases (1.0 percent) were categories 3, 4 and 5; and
• 3,044 cases (99.0 percent) were categories 1 and 2.

Of 3,010 daily cases reported on Jan 16;

• 28 cases (0.9 percent) were categories 3, 4 and 5; and
• 2,982 cases (99.1 percent) were categories 1 and 2.

Of 2,342 daily cases reported on Jan 17;

• 34 cases (1.5 percent) were categories 3, 4 and 5; and
• 2,308 cases (98.5 percent) were categories 1 and 2.

Of 3,245 daily cases reported on Jan 18;

• 1.2 percent were categories 3, 4 and 5; and the rest were categories 1 and 2.

Of 3,229 daily cases reported on Jan 19;

• 38 cases (1.2 percent) were categories 3, 3 and 5; and
• 3,191 cases (98.8 percent) were categories 1 and 2.

Of 3,764 daily cases reported on Jan 20;

• 47 cases (1.2 percent) were categories 3, 4 and 5;
• 3,717 cases (98.8 percent) were categories 1 and 2.

Total recoveries for the week are as follows:

Jan 15 (2,828), Jan 16 (2,584), Jan 17 (No information), Jan 18 (3,093), Jan 19 (2,848) and Jan 20 (3,254).

* cumulative recovered cases as of yesterday stood at 2,747,457 cases (97.4 percent).

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.

Jan 15 - 19 (BID 6), Jan 16 - 12 (BID 0), Jan 17 - 16 (BID 2), Jan 18 - 9 (BID 0), Jan 19 - 13 (BID 3) and Jan 20 - 22 (BID 5).

*Total fatalities as of yesterday stood at 31,853 cases.

Below is the breakdown of new record clusters:

* imported clusters

Jan 15 - 10 (community 2, education 7 and imported 1);

Jan 16 - 7 (workplace 2, community 1, education 2 and high-risk 2);

Jan 17 - 6 (workplace 1, education 4 and imported 1);

Jan 18 - 17 (workplace 4, religious 1, education 11 and high-risk 1);

Jan 19 - 20 (workplace 4 and education 16);

Jan 20 - 17 (workplace 4, education 11 and detention centre 1).

Global Covid-19 statistics

According to Worldometer, total Covid-19 cases worldwide stood at 343,059,726 as against 323,558,817 previously with 5,593,256 fatalities compared to 5,545,398 previously. Recovered cases stood at 276,358,155 from 265,172,404 over the previous week.

Some 222 countries are affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and those in the top 10 of the list are the United States (US), India, Brazil, the United Kingdom (UK), France, Russia, Turkey, Italy, Spain and Germany.

The breakdown of the top 10 nations (+ new record daily cases) is as follows:

• US 70,262,198 cases (+454,190);
• India 38,563,632 cases (+344,859);
• Brazil 23,585,243 cases (+164,382);
• UK 15,613,283 cases (+107,364);
• France 15,600,647 cases (+ 425,183);
• Russia 10,938,261 cases (+38,850);
• Turkey 10,736,215 cases (+71,843);
• Italy 9,408,188 cases (+188,787);
• Spain 8,834,363 cases (+157,447);
• Germany 8,397,328 cases (+134,930).

China, where the Covid-19 outbreak was first reported at end-December 2019, remained at the 118th spot with 105,411 cases ((+66 new daily cases).

Besides Malaysia, the Southeast Asian nations namely Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Singapore, Laos and Cambodia, have joined the list of 112 countries with more than 100,000 Covid-19 cases.

The cumulative breakdown of Covid-19 cases (+new daily cases) is as follows:

• Indonesia 16th spot - 4,277,644 cases (+2,116);
• Philippines 20th - 3,324,478 cases (+31,173);
• Malaysia 21st - 2,820.927 cases (+3,764);
• Thailand 26th - 2,353,062 cases (+8,129);
• Vietnam 28th - 2,094,802 cases (+16,715);
• Myanmar 71st - 533,732 cases (+128);
• Singapore 92nd - 297,549 cases (+1,472);
• Laos 111th - 128,248 cases (+901);
• Cambodia 114th - 120,914 cases (+37);
• Brunei 169th - 15,986 cases (+ 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.

- Bernama