PUTRAJAYA: Although Malaysia has yet to report any Covid-19 relapse case, recovered patients still to follow precautionary measures to protect themselves from the risk of being re-infected by the virus.
The antibody response developed among recovered Covid-19 patients when they are treated for the infection is insufficient to protect them from being infected by the virus for the second time.
Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said this when he was asked to comment on reports which quoted the World Health Organisation (WHO) warning that people recovered from Covid-19 were not necessarily immune due to the presence of antibodies from getting the virus again.
"At the moment, we do not have any case of recovered patient getting the infection again.
"Having said that, recovered patients must continue to practise precaution including adopting utmost hygiene to avoid getting infected by Covid-19 for the second time," he said when speaking at the Health Ministry's daily press briefing on the Covid-19 situation in the country here today.
"During the fifth or sixth day (into their treatment), a Covid-19 patient will usually develop antibody response that is IgM (Immunoglobin M antibody) followed by IgG (Immunoglobin G antibody).
"It (the antibody) however will not be able to protect them from getting reinfection. There is no evidence available to prove that recovered patients will not get reinfected.
"The issue is reinfection (among recovered patients) may occur. That is why, recovered patients will have to undergo counselling before they are discharged from hospitals," he said.
In a scientific brief published on Friday, WHO had said that there was no evidence yet that people who have had Covid-19 would not get a second infection.
The global health body also cautioned against governments around the world that were considering issuing so-called "immunity passports" to people who have recovered from Covid-19.
Closer to the region, it was reported that Brunei detected 11 recurring cases as of April 14. Such development prompted Brunei Government to carry out re-swab testing on recovered patients discharged from its National Isolation Centre (NIC).