Page 173 - MALAYSIA HEALTH SECTOR RESPONSE TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC: PERSPECTIVES FROM THE FIELD

COVID-19 diagnosis allowed close monitoring for deterioration, which might
prevent deaths and abnormal plain chest X-ray findings. It was a useful
predictor in assessing the severity of the disease in a resource-limited
setting. Aside from the adult population, there have been reports and
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researches related to the paediatric population. A brief report of 4
paediatric COVID-19 cases in Malaysia has also indicated the need for clearer
guidelines for child quarantine and testing methods in managing COVID-19
in children.

Due to the presence of asymptomatic and mild clinical manifestations, the
actual number of COVID-19 infections was likely higher and could be
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quantified through a seroprevalence study. The ongoing IPH study , a
component of the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS), aimed to
estimate the overall and age-stratified COVID-19 seroprevalence among
Malaysia's general population. The study findings provided better insights
into the actual burden of COVID-19, representative of the Malaysian
population, which allowed better estimation of various epidemiological
parameters and provided a better understanding of the role of mild and
asymptomatic infections in disease transmission. Public health responses
and policy decisions in the prevention and control of COVID-19 would then
be better informed and more effective in breaking the chain of COVID-19
transmission in Malaysia.

Exploring the safety and effectiveness of antivirals drugs in treating
COVID-19

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Furthermore, ICR had also participated in the WHO Solidarity Clinical Trial
which aimed to look at four repurposed antiviral drugs' safety and
effectiveness. The study findings showed that Remdesivir,
Hydroxychloroquine, Lopinavir, and Interferon regimens appeared to have
little or no effect on hospitalised COVID-19, as indicated by overall
mortality, initiation of ventilation, and duration of hospital stay. These
findings had subsequently brought changes in the clinical guidelines
regarding using these drugs in treating COVID-19 in Malaysia. Another
important ICR study 33 was assessing the cardiovascular safety of the
combination of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin therapy, which
proposed a clinical decision support algorithm for treatment initiation based
on QTc interval monitoring.

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