KUCHING, Feb 4: A 41-year-old local man from Selangor has become the first Malaysian to be tested positive with 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said today.
“The man had a travel history to Singapore from Jan 16 to 23 to attend a meeting which was attended also by international delegates including from China.
“He returned to Malaysia on Jan 23 and on Jan 29, he sought treatment from a private hospital in Selangor for cough and fever. Then he was referred to Sungai Buloh Hospital on Feb 2 and admitted into the isolation ward. He was confirmed for nCoV on Feb 3,” he revealed in a press statement today.
Dr Dzulkefly added that the patient was stable and that the ministry had contacted its Singapore counterpart to commence contact tracing.
The Selangor man was one of two new cases of novel coronavirus reported in Malaysia as of Feb 3.
The other was a 63-year-old Chinese national from Wuhan, China who arrived in Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) on Jan 18 and started developing a mild fever on Jan 23.
“He sought outpatient treatment at a private hospital in Kuala Lumpur before being placed under home surveillance for 14 days.
“On Feb 2, the fever persisted and he was admitted to Kuala Lumpur Hospital to receive further treatment. Lab test returned positive for 2019-nCoV on Feb 3. The patient is in the isolation ward and in stable condition,” Dr Dzulkefly informed.
With the two new cases, the total cumulative number of cases is now 10 – five cases among Patient Under Investigation (PUI) cases and five among close contacts.
“Of the figure, nine case involved Chinese national and one Malaysian,” he added.
From Jan 10 to Feb 2 as of 6pm, the total cumulative number of PUI cases were 213 people, in which 122 were Malaysians, 86 Chinese nationals, and one each from Australia, Republic Korea, Jordan, Brazil and Thailand.
Five cases have been confirmed positive of 2019 n-CoV, 188 negative and 20 cases were still pending lab test results.
The ministry will monitor closely the development of the deadly virus and make sure necessary prevention measures and control be implemented continuously. —DayakDaily
