KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 1 — Khairy Jamaluddin today urged family members and friends to monitor Covid-19 cases undergoing home quarantine so medical attention can be sought immediately should their condition deteriorate.
The health minister noted that a fraction of the brought-in-dead (BID) Covid-19 cases were initially asymptomatic before their health worsened rapidly within just 24 hours.
“Family members and friends should be aware of the health condition of the patients who are undergoing self-isolation at home,” Khairy said in a press conference today.
“If they are isolating in a room, make a WhatsApp video call. Find out what is happening to them. Check on them and check on their status and help them report on their status.”
Khairy pointed out that Stages One and Two Covid-19 patients who are generally asymptomatic or have mild symptoms can develop severe illness in Category Five within a short timespan and succumb to the disease before being able to seek medical treatment.
For the past two weeks from August 18 until 31, Malaysia reported a total of 771 BID cases with an average of 55 cases per day. That is 21.5 per cent from the total 3,587 Covid-19 deaths in the same period of time.
Khairy also assured the public that the Ministry of Health will release more granular data on Covid-19 BID cases, such as location, age, comorbidities, and whether they were vaccinated.
He advised Covid-19 cases on home quarantine to immediately contact Covid-19 Assessment Centres (CAC) or call 999 if they depict warning signs like prolonged fever, breathing difficulties, chest pain, loss of appetite, worsening lethargy, change in mental state including confusion, cough with vomiting, diarrhoea, oxygen saturation levels below 95 per cent, and blue lips.
Khairy emphasised that asymptomatic patients at home should seek urgent medical treatment if they experience an escalation of symptoms.
At the same time, Khairy requested all close contacts and those who have been tested positive with the coronavirus to stay at home and comply with all the precautionary measures before being called by the district health office.
“It is extremely important for us to be responsible when undergoing home quarantine. If we are unable to follow all the necessary rules when isolating at home without self-control, we will not be able to live with the virus in a safe environment.
“That is why we are emphasising self-responsibility for home quarantine.”
Khairy also clarified that not all fully vaccinated foreign returnees are allowed to undergo home quarantine.
Since August 10, from a total of 20,000 returnees from abroad who have applied to undergo home quarantine, only 4,159 were permitted based on a strict risk assessment, including their vaccination status, test history, the country that they returned from, and the condition of their home.
“In this matter, we are still being strict where the default still undergoes quarantine at quarantine centres,” Khairy added.
From the total foreign returnees who are undergoing home quarantine, 404 are using digital device bracelets to monitor their isolation status.
“Once we have gone through the pilot project, and if we are satisfied with the efficiency and accuracy of the digital quarantine device, we can roll out to more people who would like to undergo home quarantine.”
