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Is the Wuhan virus in Malaysia? Here’s everything you need to know (so far)

Also known as the Wuhan coronavirus a.k.a #WuFlu

Image: Getty
Image: Business Insider Malaysia

The Wuhan virus has already spread to as far as the United States and as close to Thailand. Is Malaysia next?

UPDATE: 25 January 2020, 2:00pm

It's official: The Wuhan virus is now in Malaysia. Three people from the group that was suspected and reported on January 24 have been confirmed to have contracted the virus due to close contact with the man in Singapore. BFM News reported that all three are PRC nationals, currently warded at the Sungai Buloh Hospital and are in stable condition.

Meanwhile, MalaysiaKini wrote that the Health Ministry is considering "the need to restrict the arrivals of Chinese nationals into the country to minimise the spread of the new coronavirus in Malaysia."

While two out of the three cases in Johor are aged 2 and 11 years old, respectively; most of the victims who passed away from the virus was over 60 and had pre-existing health issues, as summarised by The Star. The tricky part is that not all patients or victims actually developed a fever, which makes detecting possible cases even more difficult with just thermal scanners.

“A major concern is the range of severity of symptoms this virus is causing,” said Dr Jeremy Farrar, Director of the Wellcome Trust.

“It is clear some people are being affected and are infectious while experiencing only very mild symptoms or possibly without experiencing symptoms at all,” he said.

Regardless, take care and practise good hygiene, everyone! We'll continue to update this story as it develops.

UPDATE: 24 January 2020, 2:35pm

Just in: According to The Star, eight people in Johor are suspected to have contracted the Wuhan virus. They're currently being isolated and monitored by health officers for symptoms related to it. Deputy Health Minister Dr Lee Boon Chye said the eight people entered Malaysia from Singapore and had contact with the 66-year-old man (a Chinese national from Wuhan) in Singapore who was confirmed to have the virus.

"They are not patients," he told the reporters. "So far, there are no symptoms but they will be monitored for a week."

2020 is not off to a great start. From the devastating Australian bushfires to the crazy floods in Jakarta to the trending topic of WWIII (due to the death of Iran's top military commander by American drones)... and now, #WuFlu.

A quick recap: Wuhan, a city of 11 million people, recently had a coronavirus outbreak which has since spread across China. Wuhan was closed off but due to rising numbers, Chinese authorities have since expanded travel restrictions to a few other cities near Wuhan. To date, China has confirmed 830 cases of infected patients and a death toll of 25 people.

On January 23, it was reported that Malaysia has received four patients suspected to have contracted the Wuhan coronavirus (code name 2019-nCoV). By night, it was confirmed that the test results for the four patients have come back negative. On the same day, Singapore confirmed its first case of the Wuhan virus.

But it's always better to be prepared and well-equipped, and that includes knowledge of the coronavirus, precautions and its global status.

What is the coronavirus?

Remember SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) back in 2002 to 2003 when it caused more than 700 deaths in 37 countries? Yes, it's very similar. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), coronaviruses (CoV) are:

a family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases
zoonotic, which means patients get the virus from animals but the virus could have gone through a or a few genetic mutations that allow it to infect (and multiply) inside humans - and from there human to human
transmitted through the air

So is it from bats?

The original source for both SARS and MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus) is the bat, with the middle host being either a masked palm civet or camels. But more recent reports have suggested that the Wuhan coronavirus could have come from snakes as the intermediate host. Snakes hunt for bats, after all; and since the Wuhan Huanan Wholesale Seafood Market, where the outbreak is believed to have started, did sell snakes, it's a high possibility.

This is a great, and costly, reminder that people should not be consuming wild animals.

Is Malaysia prepared if the Wuhan virus hits the country?

According to Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, Director General of Health at the Ministry of Health Malaysia, a medical procedure for the virus for reference purposes has been issued and they'll be working with relevant agencies to strengthen screening activities at all checkpoints into the country. 26 government hospitals across the country have been identified to handle suspected 2019-nCov cases.

Deputy Health Minister Dr Lee Boon Chye also told New Straits Times that, "They include all the state hospitals and major specialist hospitals with an infectious disease unit. Every state will have at least one hospital that can provide isolation and treatment to patients."

"We would prefer them (patients) to be treated in public hospitals unless private hospitals have the facilities to provide isolation (for patients) and take protective measures for staff. I think most private hospitals are not equipped with that."

"There are a few requirements (to handle such cases). First, the patients need to be isolated. Second, the healthcare providers should have adequate protection with special protective gear to keep them from being infected.

"And, finally, the facilities should have the capacity to perform contact tracing and monitoring," he said.

What are the precautions people can take against the Wuhan virus?

Maintain good personal hygiene, which means washing hands frequently with soap and using hand sanitiser. Wear a mask or cover your mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing. Cook meat thoroughly and limit contact with live animals. Yes, it's as basic as that, for now.

What are the symptoms?

Fever, difficulty breathing and coughing. In more severe cases, it can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.

Is there a vaccine?

Not at this point, unfortunately. But three research teams are working on it and are aiming to have a shot developed and approved within a year, according to Channel News Asia.

Which countries have reported cases of the Wuhan virus?

China, Thailand, Hong Kong, Macau, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, Singapore, and the US.

wuhan virus outbreak countries — Image via The Business Insider Malaysia

But it's still not considered a "global emergency"

An emergency committee set up by the WHO has decided that the Wuhan virus is not yet a global health emergency but will meet again to discuss within ten days. Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO's director general, however, acknowledged that it is an emergency in China but not yet a global one.

More updates to come. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization has put together an FAQ thread here.