COVID-19 mortality rate during period of delta and omicron predominance in Malaysia: A descriptive study

Introduction: COVID-19 was the most feared infectious disease in the last few years which caused a high number of mortalities. Hospital Sungai Buloh was the main COVID-19 referral centre since the pandemic started. A large database of COVID-19 patients was available for this study and used to describe the rate of mortality among patients who were 40 years and above;who were admitted to Hospital Sungai Buloh during periods of Delta and Omicron predominance. Material(s) and Method(s): Medical records of COVID-19 patients who were admitted in Hospital Sungai Buloh during the period of Delta and Omicron predominance were reviewed retrospectively and analyzed. Result(s): Patient mortality during the period of Delta predominance from May-July 2021 (755 patients) was higher com[pared to the period of Omicron predominance from January-April 2022 (180 cases). Majority of the deceased patients were male (59.1%). Conclusion(s): This descriptive study serves as a baseline research for more studies in future using the same dataset. More data cleaning is required to produce more results.

COVID-19 category during period of delta and omicron predominance in Malaysia: A descriptive study

Introduction: During the COVID-19 pandemic, numerous variants of SARS-CoV-2 have emerged that have been found to differ in transmissibility and severity. Assessments of the severity of the SARS-CoV-2 delta and omicron variant are vital to evaluate the public health influence related to its rapid global dissemination. Material(s) and Method(s): Medical records of COVID-19 patients who were hospitalized in Hospital Sungai Buloh during the period of Delta and Omicron predominance were reviewed retrospectively and analyzed. Result(s): Delta wave was studied between May 2021 and July 2021, among the 5815 individuals with SARS-CoV-2 infection, the highest number of cases were seen in May which was 2410 (41.4%) cases followed by 1762 (30.3%) in June and 1643 (28.2%) cases in July. Individuals were vaccinated, and vaccination was associated with a lower risk of hospitalization compared with cases with no doses or only one dose of vaccine. Compared with delta infection, omicron infection was lesser. The Omicron wave was studied between January 2022 and March 2022. Among the 2820 individuals with SARS-CoV-2 infection, the highest number of cases were seen in March which was 1173 (41.5%), followed by 985 (34.9%) cases in February and 662 (23.4%) cases in January. The booster vaccine was started to be administered during this period and reduced equally the risk of symptomatic and asymptomatic infection. Conclusion(s): This descriptive study aids as a baseline study for more studies in the future using the same dataset. Laborious data cleaning is currently in the process to produce more forceful and steadfast results.

COVID-19 hospitalisation during period of delta and omicron predominance in Malaysia: A descriptive study

Introduction: Hospital Sungai Buloh is the main COVID-19 referral centre since the pandemic started. Having a large database of COVID-19 patients, this study describes the demographic characteristics of patients who were admitted to Hospital Sungai Buloh during periods of Delta and Omicron predominance. Material(s) and Method(s): Medical records of COVID-19 patients who were hospitalized in Hospital Sungai Buloh during the period of Delta and Omicron predominance were reviewed retrospectively and analyzed. Result(s): Patient admissions during the period of Delta predominance from May-July 2021 (5815 patients) are higher than during the period of Omicron predominance from January-April 2022 (3144 subjects). Among 8959 COVID-19 patients, 55.6% of them were in the age group 60-79 years old (4977 patients). Majority were male (50.7%), Malaysian (98.5%) and diagnosed as Category 4 COVID-19 upon admission (48.6%). A total of 935 (10.4%) patients died during hospitalisation. Conclusion(s): This descriptive study serves as a baseline research for more studies in future using the same dataset. Rigorous data cleaning is currently being performed to produce more robust and reliable results.

Malaysia’s third COVID-19 wave – a paradigm shift required

The first case of COVID-19 was reported in Malaysia on the 25 January 2020. By the 20 January 2021, the cumulative numbers reported confirmed cases of COVID-19 had reached 169,379 including 630 deaths. Malaysia has been hit by three waves of COVID-19. This article reports on the three waves, the current situation and some of the possible factors associated. It outlines the need to reassess the overall situation, re-strategize the approach in order to contain the spread. The first COVID-19 wave lasted from 25 January to 16 February 2020, the second wave occurred between the 27 February 2020 and the 30 June 2020. The current third wave began on 8th September 2020.The sudden surge of cases in the third wave was mainly due to the two largest contributors, namely the Benteng Lahad Datu cluster in Sabah state and Kedah's Tembok cluster. The current situation is critical. The daily confirmed cases of COVID-19 continue to soar. The challengers faced by healthcare workers and other front liners is tremendous. Non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and cancer are the leading cause of death in Malaysia. A paradigm shift in the approach is required to ensure the sustainability of the normal healthcare services provided by the government especially for the lower income groups. There is also a need to expedite the tabling of Tobacco Control Bill in coming parliament session which is long overdue. H.E. the King of Malaysia has called on all Malaysians to put aside political, racial and religious differences and show the spirit of loyalty, humanitarianism and steadfastness in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. © 2021, Malaysian Medical Association. All rights reserved.