Coronavirus: Four Chinese nationals in Malaysia recover, discharged from hospital

A sanitisation operation at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Feb 4, 2020. PHOTO: EPA-EFE

SUNGAI BULOH (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - Another four Chinese nationals in Malaysia have recovered from the coronavirus disease and have been discharged from Hospital Sungai Buloh, said the Health Ministry.

The four are a 65-year-old woman, her 36-year-old daughter-in-law and her grandsons, aged 11 and two. They had visited Malaysia as tourists during the Chinese New Year holidays in late January.

All of them were discharged on Friday (Feb 14).

On Jan 25, Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said that the Malaysian authorities were alerted by their Singaporean counterparts that four family members of an infected Chinese national had crossed over to Johor from Singapore.

China's Ambassador to Malaysia Bai Tian, who visited the family in hospital, said he was happy that the patients had been cured and discharged.

"The four patients had not taken any special medication but recovered with their own immune system. These are the cured cases," he said when met at the hospital, adding that this showed that it is not a disease to be feared.

Mr Bai also said he had a "cheerful" long chat with the family.

The mother said she was grateful for the treatment in the hospital and she was touched by the services they had all received.

"This is a blessing in disguise for them as they experienced going through the hardship but strengthened their solidarity," Mr Bai said.

He also commended the local medical team for its excellent medical skills and the professionalism and care rendered to the patients, and said the hospital was well-equipped and had state-of-the-art infrastructure.

He added that government health officials had also been very supportive.

Mr Bai said the four came as tourists in a big family group comprising grandparents, parents and two children during Chinese New Year and they were diagnosed with the disease, officially known as Covid-19, shortly after they arrived in Johor Baru.

The father and grandfather were diagnosed in Singapore and were treated there while the four were diagnosed in Malaysia and sent to the Sungai Buloh Hospital.

Three other patients in Malaysia have also recovered and been discharged from its hospitals.

They were all Chinese nationals and were aged 40, four and 63.

Malaysia has so far reported 19 confirmed cases of the coronavirus.

"I want to thank the Health Ministry for its excellent preventive measures since the outbreak," Mr Bai said.

He also commended the ministry's team for its successful communications work as he did not see unnecessary fear and panic in Malaysia.

Also present at the hospital Friday was Deputy Health Minister Lee Boon Chye, who congratulated the Hospital Sungai Buloh team for a job well done.

"We stand in solidarity with China. This should not be seen as a China problem but one that should be supported by the rest of the world.

"Wuhan, keep it up, " he said, referring to the Chinese city at the heart of the outbreak.

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