Retest confirms American woman positive COVID-19 - Dr Wan Azizah
Last Update :
16/02/2020 05:28 PM

PUTRAJAYA, Feb 16 -- Retests conducted on an American couple who flew in from Cambodia after disembarking from a cruise ship, have shown the same results with the wife confirmed positive for COVID-19 while her husband tested negative for the virus.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said the Ministry of Health performed the retests late last night.

“The retests conducted on Feb 15 found the wife, 83, was positive for COVID-19. The patient has coughing symptoms but no fever or shortness of breath, while the X-ray findings show signs of pneumonia.

“Her husband is negative for the virus but he is currently being treated for bacterial infection,” she told a news conference on a daily update for COVID-19 here today.

Dr Wan Azizah said the couple was among 145 passengers on board a Malaysian Airlines chartered flight MH8763 from Sihanoukville International Airport, Cambodia which landed at KL International Airport (KLIA) at 7 pm on Friday.

All 145 passengers underwent health screening and the couple was sent to Sungai Buloh Hospital for further examinations after they exhibited symptoms.

The woman is currently being treated at Sungai Buloh Hospital and is in a stable condition, she said.

The Westerdam cruise liner had docked in Hong Kong a day before embarking on a 14-day East Asia Cruise on Feb 1. However, it was denied docking by Japan, the Philippines and Thailand after a few passengers of another cruise ship Diamond Princess that had been berthing in Japan were tested positive for COVID-19.

“The ship was later allowed to anchor in Sihanoukville, Cambodia on Feb 13.

"The cruise ship operator Holland American Line had chartered Malaysian Airlines (MAS) flights to ferry a part of the ship passengers from Sihanoukville International Airport to various destinations via KLIA,” she said.

She said according to the plan, MAS would provide four flights from Feb 14 to 16, however after it was informed of the confirmed case, MAS had cancelled the remaining chartered flights.

Meanwhile, Dr Wan Azizah who is also the National Disaster Management Committee chairman said of the remaining 143 passengers who were found asymptomatic, 137 had continued their journeys while another six passengers were still waiting for connecting flights to their respective destinations.

“These six passengers will have to undergo health screenings again before they are allowed to continue with their journeys,” she said.
[UPDATE: Six passengers of cruise ship 'Westerdam' test negative for COVID-19, says Health DG]

Dr Wan Azizah also said Malaysia International Health Regulations (IHR) Focal Point has carried out contact tracing by initiating communications with National IHR Focal Point of the involved countries.

-- BERNAMA

DaveG wrote: ↑Sun Feb 16, 2020 7:29 pm

paparazzi wrote: ↑Sun Feb 16, 2020 4:53 pm The ship was believed to be free of the virus but an 83-year-old American woman from it tested positive upon arriving in Malaysia, authorities there said, adding that a second test, at the request of the cruise operator, confirmed the finding.

Caught it on the plane Obviously

Or caught it on the ground, from the welcoming staff

LoukBongThom wrote: ↑Mon Feb 17, 2020 2:26 am

DaveG wrote: ↑Sun Feb 16, 2020 7:29 pm

paparazzi wrote: ↑Sun Feb 16, 2020 4:53 pm The ship was believed to be free of the virus but an 83-year-old American woman from it tested positive upon arriving in Malaysia, authorities there said, adding that a second test, at the request of the cruise operator, confirmed the finding.

Caught it on the plane Obviously

Or caught it on the ground, from the welcoming staff

Or got it on the ground, while strolling through Chinaville.

The bets are on....

The cruise ship docked in Japan keeps seeing more passengers infected each day. Even being locked up in your room hasn't offered the protection expected. So the question is where is the virus coming from?

Food or aircon 2 likely sources. Its clear on cruise ships it's especially difficult to control a viral outbreak.

The cuise ship docked up in Sihanoukville is extremely likely to have had the virus on board. Its now a question of how many were infected or could still be infected on board.

Looking at the Japanese situation onboard the cruise ship its hard to see the numbers infected from the Sihanoukville boat not climbing.

All the countries that turned the ship away had their reasons.

It's a wait and see. Keep your fingers crossed everyone!!!!

I think the question is: were they infected when quarantined, or did they become symptomatic while quarantined? AFAIK they only tested the symptomatic ones, and nearly 30% of the people tested has shown positive.

On the other hand, if I were locked on the ship I would probably be symptomatic to, if not because of the virus it would be because of the anxiety.

'Cabin fever' is very evident watching passengers on the Japanese boat.You Tube giving reports.

Well the scramble is on to locate those who left the Sihanoukville ship and l guess they will likely go into isolation for a period. Many airlines will be reluctant to take those passengers that are still in Phnom Penh.

When they come back from their sight seeing around Phnom Penh ( heard a report thats what some were doing. Like to have this confirmed) l guess they are facing an uncertain situation.

Countries bordering on Cambodia and doing everything they can to control a virus outbreak must be watching this situation carefully.

paparazzi wrote: ↑Mon Feb 17, 2020 11:56 am 'Cabin fever' is very evident watching passengers on the Japanese boat.You Tube giving reports.

Well the scramble is on to locate those who left the Sihanoukville ship and l guess they will likely go into isolation for a period. Many airlines will be reluctant to take those passengers that are still in Phnom Penh.

When they come back from their sight seeing around Phnom Penh ( heard a report thats what some were doing. Like to have this confirmed) l guess they are facing an uncertain situation.

Countries bordering on Cambodia and doing everything they can to control a virus outbreak must be watching this situation carefully.

All those people can just buy an individual ticket out of Cambodia by themselves. As a group it's a different matter.... Nobody knows they belong to the group.....

#CompetentAuthorities

All Airlines in PNH already have their names, believe me. They embarked in Hongkong and disembarked in Chinaville. They have this data too.
When I took a flight (AirAsia) from BKK to PNH 10 days ago, the Airline in BKK checked my passport for stamps in/out China too.
Won't be easy!

So now we not only have to keep an eye on those on the boat and the passengers that disembarked at Sihanoukville but also their ' close contacts'.

'Close Contact' is anyone who has come in contact for a period of time!! Not exactly clear how long 'period of time' is but the longer the contact the more likely the virus will transfer.

Cruise ships are the perfect environment for spreading bugs and viruses, even in normal times.

Cruise: More than 300 people sick with vomiting bug on Princess Cruises ship in Caribbean
A CRUISE ship in the Caribbean has had to cut its voyage short after hundreds onboard were struck down by gastroenteritis. More than 300 people began suffering from diarrhoea and vomiting on the Caribbean Princess ship.
By Harriet Mallinson
PUBLISHED: 18:38, Tue, Feb 11, 2020 | UPDATED: 18:39, Tue, Feb 11, 2020
Cruise ship Caribbean Princess, of Princess Cruises, had to return to Florida when gastroenteritis hit the vessel, in the latest cruise news. At least 345 passengers and 26 crew members suffered from vomiting and diarrhoea, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In total, the ship was carrying more than 3,000 passengers and more than 1,100 crew members.

The Caribbean Princess had begun its two-week trip on 2 February and was due to sail until 16 February. It is now scheduled to return on 13 February.
https://www.express.co.uk/travel/cruise ... ews-latest