First local transmission case

Malaysian who was infected while in Singapore passes virus to sister

PUTRAJAYA: The first Malaysian to be infected by the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) has apparently passed it on to his sister, making it not only the first local human-to-human transmission but also the first case between siblings.

The man had been infected when visiting Singapore last month. He returned to Malaysia on Jan 23 and later caught up with his 40-yearold sister in Sungai Petani where they spent the Chinese New Year holidays.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said the woman developed a fever and sore throat on Feb 1 and began coughing on Feb 4, so sought treatment at a private clinic.

“After it was confirmed that her brother had been infected, the district health office began to trace his movements over the previous days to determine the occasions when he had direct contact with members of his family,” he said at a press conference yesterday.

Saliva swabs taken from other members of the family turned out negative.

The woman is now in an isolation ward at Hospital Sultanah Bahiyah, Alor Star. She is reported to be in stable condition.

Dzulkefly said the woman has never travelled to China.

Apart from the woman, the Health

Ministry’s Crisis Preparedness and Response Centre has identified another case, a Chinese national from Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak. The 37-year-old woman arrived in Malaysia with her mother and three friends on Jan 25. They had visited several tourist spots in Kuala Lumpur.

Dzulkefly said she developed a slight fever and was given outpatient treatment at Hospital Kuala Lumpur, but on Feb 5, tests conducted on her turned out positive. She was then sent to an isolation ward.

Meanwhile, other members of her entourage have been instructed not to go anywhere.

This brings the total number of cases in Malaysia to 14.

Dzulkefly said it is quite unlikely to get infected if one stays at least a metre away from an infected person. “The droplets from a cough or sneeze are the cause of transmission for the spread of the coronavirus.”