Malaysia 1st Locally Transmitted Coronavirus Case Had Direct Contact With Infected Brother On 23 Jan
As the Wuhan virus continues to spread around the world, a business meeting in Singapore last month has been identified as a possible source of transmission.
On Thursday (6 Feb), Malaysia confirmed its first locally transmitted case of the coronavirus — the sister of a man who attended a meeting at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Orchard.
Woman in Malaysia tested positive for coronavirus on 5 Feb
According to Channel NewsAsia (CNA), the 40-year-old woman had “direct contact” with her brother on 23 Jan when they travelled to their hometown to celebrate Chinese New Year (CNY).
She developed a fever and sore throat a week later on 1 Feb, and started coughing on 4 Feb.
Despite displaying symptoms of the coronavirus, she only received treatment at a private clinic.
After her brother tested positive for the virus, Malaysian authorities from Kedah state tracked her down and she tested positive on Wednesday (5 Feb).
The patient is currently in a stable condition and is being treated at Hospital Sultanah Bahiyah.
Thankfully, the 40-year-old’s husband and 2 teenage children tested negative for the virus.
Grand Hyatt Hotel meeting linked to cases in other countries
The patient’s brother reportedly attended a meeting at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Singapore from 16-23 Jan and tested positive for the virus on Monday (3 Jan).
He was also the first Malaysian diagnosed with the Wuhan coronavirus.
First M’sian Confirmed With Wuhan Virus, Reportedly Visited S’pore From 16-23 Jan
The gathering has also been linked to confirmed cases in Malaysia and South Korea.
As of the time of this article, 4 other attendees have developed symptoms of the Wuhan coronavirus, according to Singapore authorities.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) is currently investigating the business meeting.
Hope the spread of the coronavirus outbreak will be curbed soon
While we await the results of the investigations, let’s all not forget to upkeep good personal hygiene and wear masks if feeling unwell.
We hope the virus outbreak will be curbed worldwide soon so we can all go about our lives as per normal.
Featured image adapted from Google Maps.
