Transmission Dynamics of 2019-nCoV in Malaysia

Jane Labadin; Boon Hao Hong

On 31 December 2019, China notified an outbreak pneumonia of unknown etiology in Wuhan City to the World Health Organization (WHO) and it had been identified as a novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV). In January 2020, several cases were confirmed outside the Mainland of China and hence WHO has declared 2019-nCoV as a global health emergency. Approximately one month since the notification to the WHO, there were 24,663 confirmed 2019-nCoV cases worldwide where 29 countries were affected. January 25 in Malaysia, the Ministry of Health (MoH) reported the first three confirmed cases of whom are of China nationality. The three infected patients were reported to have entered Malaysia from Singapore of which two days earlier, a confirmed case was notified by the Singapore authorities. The first infected Malaysian was reported on February 4. Based on the patient mobility report prior to the notification, it was noted that he was in Singapore for a week starting on January 16, 2020 to attend an international conference where some of the conference delegates were reported to have come from China. It was noted that this patient's symptoms appear on 23 January and he only seek for treatment on January 29 and was referred to the Sungai Buloh Hospital on February 2.