PUTRAJAYA – The COVID-19 infections involving the Pasai Cluster which spread to several districts in Sarawak has now infected six generations since the first case was reported on Jan 9.
Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the cluster which was first detected in Sibu, has now involved 58 longhouses in Sarawak, with the Ministry of Health (MOH) detecting 2,363 positive from 25,500 screenings carried out so far.
He said the cluster occurred when the index case who returned from Johor to attend a relative’s funeral underwent the mandatory quarantine period in a longhouse that lacked isolation and compliance with standard operating procedures (SOP).
“The burial customs at a longhouse takes place over three straight days and involves many visitors from other longhouses,” he said, adding that the cluster also infected 46 health workers in the affected areas.
Meanwhile, Dr Noor Hisham said the MOH was maintaining its projection that the number of new daily COVID-19 cases would reduce to double figures by May.
He said the implementation of the Movement Control Order (MCO), now in its third week, had succeeded in preventing a surge in cases.
“We expect that by the time we reach the fourth week (of the MCO) which is on Feb 13, or as we have now extended until Feb 18, we will probably see a decrease in cases.
“Based on our calculation, that is four weeks of MCO followed by the Conditional MCO, we may be able to lower the COVID-19 infectivity rate (Rt) or R-naught from 1.2 to 0.6,” he said, adding that MOH expects the COVID-19 curve of infection to be flattened by March or April.
He also urged Malaysians to continue to follow the prescribed SOPs and remain at home if there was nothing important to attend to outside.
Meanwhile, on Covid Assessment Centre (CAC) set up at Stadium Melawati, Shah Alam, he said as of yesterday, 1,048 cases had come for assessment and of the total, 923 were given a release order, 100 were referred to the COVID-19 Quarantine and Low-Risk Treatment Centre (PKRC) at the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang, eight patients were sent to Hospital Sungai Buloh, and 17 individuals were undergoing home monitoring.
Application to volunteer still open
The MOH meanwhile in a related development, is looking for more volunteers to take part in phase 3 of COVID-19 vaccine clinical trial.
The MOH in a Twitter post said among the prescribed conditions are applicants must be over 18 years old and healthy.
Those interested to volunteer or seeking further information can contact the Clinical Research Centre (CRC) in nine hospitals via WhatsApp, namely the Ampang Hospital, Selangor (016-7286617, also Telegram); Sarawak General Hospital (012-3108108); Penang Hospital (014-9453599) and Seberang Jaya Hospital, Penang (014-9065518).
Also, Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital, Kedah (019-5544976); Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital, Perak (011-63311654); Taiping Hospital, Perak (019-8546373); Sungai Buloh Hospital, Selangor (011-10045343) and Sultan Abdul Halim Hospital, Kedah (017-7931938, 017-7931987, 011-57669114).
The average response received by Bernama when contacting these numbers is to fill up a form directly on the WhatsApp application or another platform while providing a link for further details, before they take further action and contact the applicants.
However, the CRC in Ampang Hospital already have enough volunteers but they still provided a registration link for those interested to take part in the future vaccine trial.
Malaysia’s COVID-19 vaccine clinical trial began on Jan 27 in nine hospitals, involving some 3,000 volunteers.
The phase 3 clinical trial of the vaccine sponsored by China’s Institute of Medical Biology Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (IMBCAMS) is being carried out with the objective of assessing its safety and effectiveness against COVID-19 infection.
The nine hospitals participating in the trial are coordinated by the Health Ministry’s Institute of Clinical Research (ICR).
