Monitoring the newly infected cases of COVID-19 data weekly: A Survival Data Analysis (SDA) perspective

This paper attempts to fit the best survival model distribution for the Malaysian COVID-19 new infections experience of Wave I/II and Wave III using the well-known Survival Data Analysis (SDA) procedures. The purpose of fitting such models is to reduce the complexity and frequency of the COVID-19 new infections data into a single measure of scale and shape parameters to enable monitoring of weekly trends, undertake short term forecasts and estimate duration when the virality will be contained. The analysis showed a Weibull distribution is the best statistical fit for Malaysia’s new infections COVID-19 data. The estimates of scale and shape parameters for Wave I/II was 0.05901 and 2.48956 and for Wave III was 0.06463 and 2.5693, respectively. Much higher hazard force in Wave III is due to weaker control in the implementation of cordon sanitaire measures imposed in containing the virality spread. Based on the survival function the short-term forecasts showed that the number of new infections projected to decline from 23,282 cases in 28th week to 22,017 cases in 31st week. Similarly, based on the cumulative hazard function the duration estimated for containing the virality completely projected to stretch over another 19.6 weeks under the prevailing conditions. © 2021 – IOS Press. All rights reserved.

Rethinking Talent Management Strategies in Malaysia’s Tourism Sector Post COVID-19

COVID-19 triggered the downfall of global economies and heavily impacted the Malaysian tourism sector as the country’s borders were closed since March 2020. The decrease in number of tourists’ arrival into the nation caused huge losses for the tourism sector and unemployment rates have surged with more than 800,000 employees being out of employment and about 30 percent were for the hospitality and tourism sector. Although the government has provided numerous incentives and assistance to employers and employees from all sectors of the economy, the progress is rather slow, and it may take time to recover fully. One of the main challenges is the misfit of the employees who were retrenched as different knowledge, skills and abilities requirements are sought. Given this background, the paper provides avenues to rethink tourism talent management strategies post COVID-19 for the relevant stakeholders since the tourism sector is still seeing a surge in unemployment rates. This paper provides an up-to-date viewpoint in relation to COVID-19 and its spill over onto the Malaysian tourism sector while addressing the shift from ‘Person-Job-Fit’ towards a new norm ‘Talent-Job-Fit’ in managing tourism talent in order to create sustainable talent management within the sector © 2022, ASM Science Journal.All Rights Reserved.

An interesting paradox of covid-19 illness in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Aims & Objectives: A case report of 46 year old female with chronic lymphocytic leukemia manifested recently with Covid 19 disease. Patients/Materials & Methods: Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a monoclonal proliferation of mature B lymphocytes that is associated with an increased risk of COVID-19 infection and a worser outcome due to the immune dysregulation noted in them as well as use of immunosuppressive therapy. Hence, we report a case of chronic lymphocytic leukemia who has survived COVID-19 infection. Results: A 46 year old female, known case of CLL treated four years back, was admitted in COVID care centre with complaints of high grade fever, cough and myalgia for 5 days. Spo2 at the time of admission was 40% in room air. Laboratory investigations revealed lymphocytosis (81%) and neutropenia. Inflammatory markers revealed increasing trend of D-dimer but a decreasing trend of serum ferritin, Interleukin-6 and CRP. HRCT Chest revealed CORADS V and CT severity score of 18/25 with 70% lung involvement. RFT, LFT and coagulation profile was normal. She was started on Remdesivir, Clexane, Dexamethasone, and prolonged high flow nasal oxygen. She improved symptomatically and was discharged on Day 10. At one month follow-up, patient was asymptomatic. Laboratory investigations given below in supporting document. Discussion & Conclusion: Typical COVID-19 presentations include neutrophilia, lymphopenia, and elevated inflammatory markers however, this patient had a different picture of increasing trend of total leucocyte count due to lymphocytosis and neutropenia. She had a severe COVID-19 disease that resolved with the above stated measures and did not receive any immunomodulators. She also did not have hypogammaglobinaemia which is a typical manifestation of severe CLL. In view of impending lymphocytic catastrophe, steroid was tapered shortly.