Category: Medical

Malaysia has recorded two cases of monkeypox with a foreign national infecting a local, the country’s health ministry said, yesterday.

The first case was confirmed on Jul 26, involving a foreign national, who has been living and working in Malaysia since Apr, 2022, but had recently travelled to a country that has recorded cases of the infection, the ministry’s director-general, Muhammad Radzi Abu Hassan, said in a statement.

“He started showing symptoms on Jul 19, and blisters began to appear on July 23. He was isolated and released on Aug 10, after a full recovery without complications,” Muhammad Radzi said.

The second case, a local who had been in quarantine due to exposure to the first individual, tested positive on Jul 29.

The ministry also advised travellers visiting countries with reported cases, to take precautions and to monitor themselves for signs of infections for up to 21 days, following their return to Malaysia.

Source: Nam News Network

The Ministry of Health (MOH) issued a total of 5,199 compounds worth RM1,253,150 last month for smoking offences under the Control of Tobacco Product Regulations (PPKHT) 2004, said Health director-general Datuk Dr Muhammad Radzi Abu Hassan.

In a statement regarding the Ministry’s Enforcement Achievement and Legislation Under the Public Health Bill for July this year, he said a total of 9,837 notices for offence had also been issued to 21,429 premises inspected during the enforcement of the smoking ban.

Through the enforcement of the Destruction of Disease-Bearing Insects Act (APSPP) 1975 for the prevention and control of dengue fever, he said a total of 2,644 compounds worth RM1,322,000 had been issued with an average of RM500 for each compound.

“A total of 249 cases have been registered for court action and at the same time 36 cases have been convicted in court with a total fine of RM171,000,” he said.

He added that a total of 6,832 food premises had been inspected and 226 or 3.31 per cent of the premises had been ordered to close under Section 11 of the Food Act 1983.

“The temporary closure of food premises enforced by the Ministry of Health is a measure to ensure the cleanliness of the premises as well as the food served,” he said.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

Scientists have called for people in the United Kingdom (UK) to wear face masks again amid a worrying new coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) variant ‘mutation.’ They expressed concern over a subvariant of Omicron, ‘Eris,’ which now accounts for one in 10 cases in the UK. The number of people diagnosed with the virus jumped from an estimated 3.3 per 100,000 to 7.2 in the space of less than a month, the Mirror reported Wednesday. A new sub-strain referred to as “BA.6′ has also caused worry, although it has only been found in Denmark and Israel for now. Trisha Greenhalgh, a primary healthcare expert at the University of Oxford, urged people to wear masks again. “My various science WhatsApp groups are buzzing. Genetic lineage clips and diagrams flying back and forth. I understand little of the detail, but it looks like it’s once again time to mask up,” she said on X, formerly known as Twitter. Prof. Christina Pagel from University College London also said the sub-strain had the potential to cause “a big wave.” The variant has a “lot of new mutations that makes it (very) different to previous Omicron strains,” she said on X. Additionally, in an opinion piece published this week in the British Medical Journal, Pagel said “it is reasonably certain that we have entered another Covid-19 wave

Source: Philippines News Agency

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Tuesday showcased the benefits of active transportation, specifically cycling, as an alternative to driving or commuting, during the groundbreaking of the expansion of active transport infrastructure in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte. In his speech during the ceremony, DOTr Secretary Jaime Bautista said active transport, such as cycling and walking, is free and would ‘steer Laoag City away from the traditional sign of progress – road traffic.’ ‘It helps us save the environment and at the same, nakakapagbiyahe tayo ng walang cost. Alam mo, ‘yung biking can also reduce traffic congestion (we can travel at no cost. Biking can also reduce traffic congestion),’ Bautista said. He also took note of its health benefits in terms of physical exercise and reduced carbon emissions. ‘Itong active transport ay para suportahan natin ang magandang kalusugan ng ating mga mamamayan. At the same time, ‘yung mobility natin does not contribute to carbon emission (Active transport allows us to support public health. At the same time, our mobility does not contribute to carbon emissions),’ he said. Targeted to be completed by the end of the year, the project involves the establishment of 3.2 km. of bike lanes along several portions of the Laoag Bypass Road. Through the construction of bike lanes in Laoag City and several other parts of the country, the DOTr expects protected bike lane networks to span up to 2,400 km. across the country by 2028

Source: Philippines News Agency

The country’s daily average of new coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases declined by 5 percent from Aug. 7 to 13, the Department of Health (DOH) reported Monday. In its latest case bulletin, the agency recorded 132 daily infections, a decline of eight cases from the 140 recorded between Aug. 1 to 6. From Aug. 7 to Aug. 13, a total of 924 new cases were recorded. The tally of severe and critical infections also decreased to 238 from the 315 cases from Aug. 1 to 6. About 20 deaths were verified with 14 recorded from July 31 to Aug. 13. Only 10.5 percent or 184 out of the 1,750 intensive care unit (ICU) beds are in use, while 14.4 percent or 2,214 of 15,425 non-ICU beds were utilized. At least 78,443,972 or 100.4 percent of the country’s target population (78,100,578) have been vaccinated against Covid-19, including 82.16 percent of 8,721,357 senior citizens, as of March 19. A total of 23,811,248 have received booster shots out of the fully vaccinated population. To date, the country has logged 4,108,469 coronavirus cases, with 3,189 active cases, 4,038,634 recoveries, and 66,646 deaths since January 2020.

Source: Philippines News Agency

Health authorities in the province have strengthened efforts to implement the ‘4S’ strategy against dengue after cases reached 2,202 with six deaths since January this year. Jose Barroquillo, South Cotabato Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) Mosquito-borne disease program coordinator, said three of the fatalities were from Polomolok town, and one each from Tboli, Norala, and Koronadal City. ‘IPHO has recorded 2,202 dengue cases as of July, or about 132 percent higher as compared to last year,’ Barroquillo said Friday. Of the total cases, Polomolok has the highest number with 376, followed by Surallah (321) and Koronadal City (317). He said 825 or 37.5 percent of 2,202 dengue-positive were aged 0 to 9 years. ‘Always monitor for symptoms of your children,’ Barroquillo said in a radio interview. ‘Parents should keep watch on fever, skin rashes, body pain, and worst bleeding.’ In no time, parents should bring their children to health professionals to avert complications and possible death, he added. To help contain the spread of dengue virus-carrying mosquitoes, Barroquillo urged the public to religiously practice the Department of Health’s ‘4S’ strategy to combat the disease. ‘4S’ stands for search and destroy mosquito breeding places, seek early consultation, secure self-protection, and support anti-dengue fogging or spraying operations when necessary. He said IPHO teams were tasked to coordinate with village officials to contain the spread of dengue through sanitation and the destruction of dengue breeding grounds. South Cotabato has 199 villages spread out over its 10 municipalities and one city area of jurisdiction. Overall, the country has recorded 85,692 dengue cases from Jan. 1 to July 22, the Department of Health (DOH) said on Aug. 2. The tally is 19 percent lower than the 106,517 cases reported during the same period in 2022, but cases are increasing since the first week of April because of the rainy season. From June 25 to July 8, the DOH reported 9,916 dengue cases, which is 7 percent higher than the cases logged two weeks prior.

Source: Philippines News Agency

The country could be facing a potential increase in cases of pediatric pneumonia as all sectors of the economy return to normal, following the end of state of public emergency due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). In a media roundtable discussion on Friday, University of the Philippines – Philippine General Hospital Infectious and Tropical Disease Division chief Dr. Anna Ong-Lim said increased mobility of the population and decreased vigilance in the observance of minimum public health standards may contribute to the increase in number of pneumonia cases especially among unvaccinated children ages 5 years old and below. Ong-Lim cited studies in Japan and Taiwan that show the hospital admissions for non-Covid pneumonia during the pandemic decreased significantly. “They were attributing the decrease to limited mobility restrictions, globally, as a way to limit transmissions,” she said. Citing data from the United Nations Children’s Fund, Ong-Lim said a child under 5 years old dies of pneumonia every 43 seconds or around 2,000 children every day. The disease claims the lives of over 700,000 children under 5 every year worldwide, including over 200,000 newborns. Globally, there are over 1,400 cases of pneumonia per 100,000 children, or 1 case per 71 children annually. The most number of pneumonia incidence among children occur in South Asia (2,500 cases per 100,000 children) and West and Central Africa (1,620 cases per 100,000 children). “Philippines is one of the fifteen countries contributing to pneumonia cases worldwide which could be prevented by vaccines,” Ong-Lim said. According to the Field Health Services Information System Report, about 31,395 Filipino children who are under 5 years old have died due to pneumonia in 2021. About 60,500 children were infected with the disease in 2022. Pneumonia, which accounts for 14 percent of all deaths among children under 5 years old, is an cute respiratory infection affecting the lungs. It is caused by bacteria, fungi or viruses and can be prevented by adequate nutrition, breastfeeding, immunization and management of environmental factors. “Embracing practices learned from the pandemic such as wearing masks has been proven effective in preventing respiratory diseases like pneumonia,” Philippine Foundation for Vaccination president Dr. Maria Rosario Capending said. However, these health protocols may not be sustainable for common respiratory diseases like pneumonia. “As early as 1.5 months after birth, infants and children should be protected from this deadly disease,” she said. To lower fatalities among children due to pneumonia, the Department of Health offers free pneumococcal vaccines against pneumonia and meningitis in health centers nationwide.

Source: Philippines News Agency