According to the World Health Organization (WHO), emergency preparedness combined with rapid and robust health security measures facilitated a systematic and informed response to COVID-19 in Malaysia.[1] We spoke to Professor SK Cheong from Tunku Abdul Rahman University in Malaysia to learn more about the country’s response to the outbreak.
“Within a month after WHO put up the guidelines and recommended method for COVID-19 testing, the RT-PCR test was available nationwide in public labs as well as private labs. Our National COVID-19 Taskforce does not do mass testing, they perform targeted testing when a patient and their close contacts have been identified. Thus, our testing load is low compared to South Korea or Taiwan. Whilst it is free for cases under mandatory testing, voluntary testing was available at private labs for RM500 per test initially and is now around RM200 to RM250 per test.
“The COVID-19 outbreak in Malaysia has occurred in multiple waves. The first wave started on 24 January 2020, with a total of only 22 confirmed cases by mid-February. The second began on 27 February and was more wide-spread due to a high-level of transmission at a religious mass gathering in Kuala Lumpur. We are now in our third wave which is proving to be more difficult to control.” said Prof Cheong.
In February, Malaysia ramped up its COVID-19 response capacity, including an 86% increase in diagnostics laboratory capacity, 89% increase in critical care bed capacity, and a 49% increase in the number of available ventilators.[2] In addition to the traditional testing of a Person Under Investigation (PUI) and close contacts, Malaysia employs more comprehensive testing strategies with a targeted approach towards high risk groups.
“Public health measures, public education and lockdown are vital in the management of COVID-19 and were key to the success of managing the first and second waves but have not been as effective in fighting the third wave. Reasons for this may include: the fact the current lockdown is only partial; current testing takes about five days to be known to the taskforce team; 40% of positive cases are asymptomatic; 70% of positive cases cannot be linked to a source of transmission; and the current approach to testing may be inadequate, with wider population testing or mass testing potentially required. Malaysian borders are also very porous with a high influx of illegal immigrants from surrounding countries,” said Prof Cheong.
Commenting on the third wave, Malaysia’s Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said he believes the country is better placed to manage the situation now, armed with the experience garnered from the first two waves. He also said that Malaysia, from having 23 laboratories which can test 1,000 samples daily, now has 60 laboratories which can test up to 41,000 samples every day. He said that so far, only 51 per cent of the laboratories have been utilised.
“According to recent news, the testing in Malaysia is reaching 30,000 to 40,000 samples per day with a detection rate about 2%. In order to fight the spread, is important for everyone to adhere to the public health recommendations by wearing masks and staying home where possible. I also think that cross state border restriction is important to prevent asymptomatic spread,” said Prof Cheong.
