PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia’s mortality rate for Covid-19, which stands at 1.58 per cent, is much lower than some countries which have reported rates of 4.6 per cent or 5.6 per cent.
Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said this lower rate was indicative of the quality of services offered at Malaysia’s wards and intensive care units (ICU).
“Our intensive care specialists are treating patients well. We must also remember that 88 per cent of patients with Covid-19 only have mild symptoms or no symptoms at all,” he said.
For patients who have either mild symptoms or were asymptomatic, they are also isolated for 14 days, treated and subject to repeated testing. Their results have to be consistently negative for a period of over 24 hours before they can be discharged.
Malaysia recorded two new deaths today, bringing the total number of deaths thus far to 67. The country’s discharge rate is 35-40 per cent and recovery rate at 40-50 per cent. Around 5 per cent of Covid-19 patients will require treatment in intensive care.
Around 69,675 people have been tested so far for Covid-19.
Dr Noor Hisham however noted that Malaysia was still very much in the midst of the Covid-19 battle, and said it was too soon to tell whether it has gained the upper hand.
“In one week, we may see a spike in new cases as projected by many parties including the World Health Organisation.
“We have a small window of opportunity now and we have to maximise that,” he said.
Dr Noor Hisham also explained that of the different clusters of infection in the country, 1,701 from the tabligh cluster have tested positive with 21,920 samples tested so far.
The cluster involving a Malaysian who visited Italy now has 41 cases with five deaths, while the church cluster in Sarawak has recorded 110 cases and three deaths.
The Bangi wedding cluster has one new case as of today with a total of 95 cases, 16 recovered and two in ICU while the Rembau cluster has recorded two new cases, bringing the total to 29 with two in ICU.
Dr Noor Hisham reiterated that Malaysians need to continue practising good hygiene, with constant hand washing and effective social distancing.