THE Health Ministry said that all severe acute respiratory infection (Sari) cases will be treated as positive for Covid-19 until tested otherwise.

Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said healthcare workers do have issues regarding those who have Sari, and have been monitoring them since January.

“We told all our healthcare workers all Sari patients have to be treated as Covid-19 until proven otherwise, because 12 workers were infected when treating cases of pneumonia, but not confirmed as positive for Covid-19,” he said at the ministry’s daily press conference in Putrajaya today.

He was responding to questions about patients who have died of pneumonia before getting tested for Covid-19.

Noor Hisham said that detection was very important for the healthcare workers as they must take all the necessary precautions to prevent any indication.

Noor Hisham said there are two types of people at risk: family members and healthcare workers, because they are in contact with patients.

“So, we tell all our healthcare workers that those coming in with cold or pneumonia patients must be treated as Covid-19 patients until investigations are done.”

Noor Hisham said the number of infections rose by 150 cases today, with 80 of those linked to the Sri Petaling tabligh cluster, bringing the total number of infections to 3,483 cases.

He said four fatalities were reported in the past 24 hours, taking the total death toll to 57.

Of the positive cases, 99 are being treated in intensive care units, with 50 on ventilators.

He said 88 patients have recovered and been discharged from hospitals. This brings the total number of recoveries to 915. – April 4, 2020.