Malaysian singer who died was not vaccinated, says her husband

Malaysian singer Siti Sarah, who died of Covid-19 three days after giving birth, was not vaccinated and received treatment late, according to her husband.

Mr Shahmira Muhammad, a comedian better known as Shuib Sepahtu, said he wanted to admit his 36-year-old wife to a private hospital but was told that there were no beds left for Covid-19 patients.

Recounting the moments in the ambulance with her, he said: "I wanted to take my wife to a private hospital, but they were full. Then it occurred to me that no amount of money could save my wife.

"My wife wasn't vaccinated... The infection had spread to most of her lungs. All her organs could not function well."

Mr Shahmira also disclosed that his wife, whose death devastated her fans, had been experiencing low oxygen levels at home, but he had dismissed the readings.

"I made a mistake. If you have Covid-19, make sure you have an oximeter. When your oxygen level is 95 and below, don't wait. Go straight to the hospital. My wife said her oxygen level was 93, 94. I told her it was okay. I was too slow in taking her to the hospital. And now she is no longer here."

Siti Sarah died on Monday at the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre in Kuala Lumpur.

She was eight months pregnant with her fourth child when she was admitted. Her son, Ayash Affan, was delivered via caesarean section last Friday, two days after she was hospitalised and put in an induced coma.

Her husband and their three older children were confirmed to have the virus on July 25, and her brother is in hospital with Covid-19.

Mr Shahmira said the family contracted the disease after his maid shook the hand of a friend - who turned out to have Covid-19 - while taking out the trash.

"Before my wife passed away, my maid passed away last Friday. Covid-19 is real. I used to be one of those who didn't believe in Covid-19, but then it happened to me," Mr Shahmira said in a Facebook live video on Monday.

It is unclear if Siti Sarah had been given an appointment for vaccination, but Mr Shahmira said he had already received his first dose.

What happened to the singer highlights the gaps in Malaysia's war against Covid-19 as daily cases and deaths surge even as the country ramps up vaccination. Public and private hospitals are bursting at the seams.

Yesterday, Malaysia reported 20,780 new infections, the second-highest daily tally so far during the pandemic. Another 211 deaths were recorded yesterday.

Universiti Putra Malaysia epidemiologist Malina Osman told The Straits Times that several factors were associated with a high risk of death among Covid-19 patients, including comorbidities and pregnancy as well as the high transmissibility of the Delta variant.

The Health Ministry yesterday said more pregnant women were being infected, with the risk of severe infections higher particularly in the second and third trimesters.

Expectant mothers should be vaccinated before the third trimester, said health director-general Noor Hisham Abdullah in a statement. He added that between March last year and June this year, 3,396 pregnant women contracted Covid-19 and 70 had died as at Monday.

The number of cases involving pregnant women began to rise in October, with an average of 200 cases a month, and this surged to 899 in June.