KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 8 – The Ministry of Health (MOH) yesterday released updated guidance on the management of positive Covid-19 cases and close contacts amid a surge of Omicron infections.
Omicron is a highly contagious coronavirus variant, but is believed to be milder than the Delta strain. Malaysia is also among the most vaccinated countries in the world, with nearly 80 per cent of its total population fully vaccinated against Covid-19.
Below are the steps to take for people who either test positive for the virus or who are close contacts of positive cases, based on Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin’s press conference yesterday.
Testing Positive For Covid-19
If you have Covid-19 symptoms, like cough, sore throat, or a cold, self-test for the virus with an antigen rapid test kit that you can purchase from a local pharmacy.
If you test positive for Covid-19 on an antigen rapid test, assume that you’re confirmed Covid; you do not need to confirm diagnosis with an RT-PCR test.
Enter your positive test result on MySejahtera.
Healthy Individuals Aged Below 60 Who Are Asymptomatic Or Have Mild Symptoms (Category 2A)
You do not need to visit the Covid-19 Assessment Centre (CAC) after testing positive for Covid-19 if you fulfill the below criteria:
- Category 1 Covid-19 (no symptoms) OR
- Category 2A (mild symptoms)
- sore throat or runny nose without fever or shortness of breath
- cough without fever or shortness of breath
- loss of sense of taste but appetite remains
- loss of sense of smell
- diarrhoea twice or less within 24 hours and urinating less
- nausea and vomiting
- mild lethargy but still able to carry out daily activities
- muscle aches but still able to carry out daily activities AND
- Aged below 60 years AND
- No underlying health conditions or issues
When you enter your positive test result on MySejahtera, your status will turn red and you will receive a digital home surveillance order (HSO); no need to fill in a form or to get a quarantine wristband.
Isolate yourself at home. The periods for self-isolation are as follows (the day you mark on MySejahtera your positive test result counts as Day One):
- Fully vaccinated: 7 days
- Incomplete vaccination or unvaccinated: 10 days
You will be discharged at the end of your quarantine without needing to test before exiting isolation.
Monitor your condition daily by using the health assessment tool on MySejahtera. A robocall service will send you SMS or reminders on the phone if you omit filling in your daily health assessments on the app.
If you mark on your health assessment tool the deterioration of your condition, you will be asked to visit the nearest CAC either through MySejahtera notification, or via SMS or phone calls. A list of Covid-19 hotlines is available here.
Seniors Aged 60 And Older/ People With Comorbidities/ Moderate Or More Serious Symptoms (Category 2B and Above)/ Deteriorating Condition
You need to visit the nearest CAC or a hospital for further examination after testing positive for Covid-19, without waiting for a phone call from the district health office (PKD) or CAC, if you fulfill the below criteria:
- Category 2B (moderate symptoms)
- fever lasting two or more days or new onset fever
- difficulty breathing when carrying out activities (exertional dyspnea)
- chest pain
- loss of appetite
- lethargy especially when carrying out daily activities or after waking up
- need assistance to walk
- worsening or persistent symptoms, such as cough, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhoea
- reduced level of consciousness
- urinating less within the last 24 hours OR
- Worse symptoms than Category 2B OR
- Aged 60 years and older OR
- Have underlying health conditions OR
- Worsening symptoms
Close Contacts Of Positive Covid-19 Cases
If you are identified as a close contact of a positive Covid-19 case and if you don’t have symptoms, you do not need to visit a CAC or test for Covid-19.
Close contacts are either called by health authorities or your MySejahtera will be updated to state that you’re a close contact. You can also self-report on MySejahtera as a close contact.
You will be given a digital HSO to complete your self-isolation at home, as per the following periods:
- Received a booster shot: 5 days
- Fully vaccinated: 7 days
- Incomplete vaccination or unvaccinated: 10 days
If you don’t have symptoms, you can exit isolation without needing to test on the last day of quarantine.
If you have symptoms, self-test for Covid-19. If you test positive, follow the steps as per either of the earlier above sections.
From March 1, senior citizens and adults double-vaccinated with Sinovac who received three vaccine doses, despite being counted as fully vaccinated, will be subject to the same five-day isolation if they’re close contacts, like other people who got boosted.
Update: The procedure for exit from isolation for both positive Covid-19 cases and close contacts undergoing home quarantine has been updated. Testing is not required before exiting isolation.
Update on Feb 14: Not being fully vaccinated is not a criterion to enter the CAC. This article has been corrected to remove this criterion that was initially listed incorrectly.
