Covid-19: Malaysia’s pandemic action plan activated for the coronavirus

The World Health Organization (WHO) finally declared the Covid-19 outbreak a pandemic on Mac 11 (2020).

In many countries, pandemic action plans were already activated before this, including in Malaysia.

Pandemics are usually declared for influenza A, and this is the first time that a pandemic has been declared for a coronavirus.

Since the SARS-CoV-2 virus is rather similar to influenza A(H1N1), which was declared a pandemic in 2009, Malaysia can tweak its National Influenza Pandemic Preparedness Plan (NIPPP) – prepared in 2006 after the Nipah virus outbreak in 1999 – so that it will suit the Covid-19 pandemic.

Compared to the rest of the world, where 114 countries and all continents except Antarctica, have reported cases, Malaysia is still in the early phase of the Covid-19 outbreak, with only 161 confirmed cases to date (as of Mac 13).

Read more : TheStar