KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 22 — Malaysia is the top 20th country in the world with the quickest rate of increase of confirmed Covid-19 cases, beating other Asean countries except Thailand.
According to Our World In Data, which utilises data from US-based Johns Hopkins University, Malaysia took 38 days to double its total confirmed coronavirus cases from 83,475 cumulative infections on December 13 last year to 169,379 total cases on January 20, 2021.
All of the other 19 countries with faster rates of increase — including African nations — than Malaysia recorded total Covid-19 infections below 60,000 as of January 20, except for Ireland (10th spot) with 179,324 total cases.
Malaysia also reported the highest daily new confirmed Covid-19 cases on January 20, at 4,008 new cases, than the other 19 nations. The second highest was Ireland with 2,485 new Covid-19 cases on January 20, followed by Zambia (1,434) and Latvia (1,088). The remaining 16 nations reported new coronavirus infections that day in the hundreds or double digits, some recorded zero.
Although Thailand reported faster doubling time at 24 days compared to Malaysia’s 38 days, the neighbouring Asean country only recorded 12,795 total Covid-19 infections by January 20, about 13 times lower than Malaysia’s 169,379 cumulative cases.
Malaysia had the second highest rate of increase of confirmed Covid-19 cases in Asean, behind Thailand. Singapore took 245 days to double its cumulative coronavirus infections to 59,197 cases by last January 20, reporting 40 new infections on that date.
Japan reported slower doubling time at 41 days compared to Malaysia, but Japan recorded about twice as many total Covid-19 cases by January 20 at 346,508 infections, including 5,519 new cases on January 20.
Indonesia took 66 days to double its total confirmed Covid-19 cases from 467,113 cases last November 15 to 939,948 on January 20.
The Philippines took 131 days to double its cumulative confirmed coronavirus infections from 252,964 cases last September 11 to 505,939 cases on January 20.
China recorded the slowest rate of increase globally, taking 343 days to double its total confirmed Covid-19 cases from 44,759 infections last February 12 to 98,544 cases on January 20.
Malaysia’s Daily New Cases Per Population Top Indonesia, Philippines
Malaysia reported higher daily new confirmed Covid-19 cases per population on January 20 at 123.83 infections per million people than Indonesia (45.95) and the Philippines (16.93).
Other countries like Singapore reported 6.84 new Covid-19 cases that day per million people, followed by Thailand (2.03), Australia (0.35), Vietnam (0.04), and New Zealand (zero).
Malaysia’s trend of daily new confirmed coronavirus infections per population has steadily climbed since late September, after the Sabah state election, rising higher and more steeply than Indonesia. Indonesia, however, has problems of severe under-reporting of Covid-19 cases and deaths due to a lack of testing.
Malaysia’s daily new confirmed Covid-19 cases per million people exceeded the Philippines and Indonesia since October 17.
The Philippines has been recording a general decline in daily new confirmed Covid-19 cases per population since August.
Singapore reported a huge spike of infections per population last April and August, but cases fell sharply after, petering at single-digit infections per million people since September 12.
