(Eagle News) – Malaysia confirmed its first three cases of coronavirus infection on Saturday, Jan. 25, saying the patients were all Chinese nationals coming from Wuhan, China.
The cases were also related to the first coronavirus case in Singapore, a 66-year old man from Wuhan.
With this confirmation, the countries in Southeast Asia with positive coronavirus infections are the following: Malaysia, SIngapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
The Chinese nationals who were found to be positive of the coronavirus in Malaysia was the 65-year old wife of the Chinese man who was the first coronavirus case in Singapore, and their grandchildren — two boys aged 2 and 11.
The three are now in stable condition, according to the Malaysia’s health minister.
A report from Channel News Asia quoted Malaysia’s Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad as saying that the patients are now being monitored at the Sungai Buloh hospital in Kuala Lumpur.
“The three here are the wife, 65, and two grandchildren (ages 2 and 11) of the man tested positive in Singapore,” said Dr Dzulkefly as quoted by the CNA report.
The Singapore-based Straits Times also reported that the three patients were now in stable condition and only exhibited light symptoms such as a dry cough.
It said that the mother of the two boys also decided to stay in the hospital to take care of her children and the grandmother. The mother tested negative for the virus.
Dr. Dzulkefly, in a news conference, said that the patients boarded a plane from Guangzhou in China to Singapore on Jan. 20.
-11 suspected cases-
He also said that as of now, there were 11 suspected coronavirus cases in Malaysia, 10 of whom already tested negative.
“Of that, 10 has been confirmed negative while one who is a Malaysian with a travel history to China has been admitted to the Kuala Lumpur Hospital and is awaiting laboratory test results,” a Channel News Asia report quoted the health minister as saying.
“From the total 11, eight were Malaysians, two were Chinese nationals and one was a Jordanian,” he added.
Singapore earlier announced at least three cases of the coronavirus — a 66-year-old man and his 37-year-old son, who arrived in Singapore on Monday from Wuhan, and a 52-year-old Wuhan woman, who arrived in the city-state on Tuesday.
Thailand has also detected five cases so far — four Chinese nationals from Wuhan and a 73-year-old Thai woman who came back from the Chinese city this month. Two of the Chinese patients were treated, and have since recovered and travelled back to China, the Thai health ministry said this week.
Vietnam also confirmed two cases of the virus on Thursday. An infected man from Wuhan travelled to Ho Chi Minh City earlier this month and passed the virus on to his son. Both are being treated in hospital and are stable, Vietnam health officials said.
(with a report from Agence France Presse)