PETALING JAYA: A patient suspected with the 2019-nCoV infection has been placed in isolation at a hospital in Sabah.
Initially, the National Crisis Preparedness and Response Centre (CPRC) identified four suspected cases of the 2019-nCoV infection.
Director General of Health Ministry, Datuk Dr Noor Hisham said in a statement today that three of the four patients tested negative for the infection while the other has been placed in isolation, awaiting lab test results.
“According to the latest suspected case filed, the patient has been put in an isolation ward at a hospital in Sabah on January 22, 2020, and is in stable condition.
Noor Hisham also said that Health Ministry (MOH) also advises against visiting Wuhan, China at this time and for those who have already made travel plans, to postpone their visit, unless for important matters that cannot be avoided.
“Similarly, people are reminded to take the precautions, especially for travelers to Wuhan and on returning to Malaysia,“ he added.
Health screening checks have been intensified at all international entry points. Travelers suspected to be infected will be referred for further inspection.
To date, the mechanism of the 2019-nCoV infection remains unknown.
The affected have been found to have respiratory tract infections showing symptoms such as fever, cough and breathing difficulty.
“There is a possibility of transmission from one person to another (human-to-human transmission), especially those in close contact,“ he said.
Investigations carried out by the World Health Organization (WHO) and various parties have not been able to provide more details and or identify how the virus is actually transmitted to humans.
For now, the WHO has not issued any travel and trade restrictions in or out of China.
