THE Health Ministry is open to new methods of treating Covid-19 infections, including a new drug from Japan, said Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

Speaking to reporters after his daily televised press conference, he said ministry officials are holding teleconferences daily on the matter.

“We are looking at new methods of treatment, including the use of immunised blood by China.

“From Japan, we are looking at the anti-viral drug Avigan, but we were told that there are side effects from the drugs. We have yet to register it for use in Malaysia.”

Noor Hisham said the side effects include diarrhoea and rashes

“We want to determine whether it has a toxic effect on the kidneys or whether there are complications when used with other drugs,” adding the ministry would have to test it before it could be approved.

For the immunised blood therapy, which injects blood plasma from those who have recovered from Covid-19 to infected patients, Noor Hisham said there has been signs of some efficacy.

“We will be reusing the blood plasma, but we have to learn how to raise the antibody levels before we discuss using this form of treatment,” he said.

Ministry officials also met with officials from the World Health Organisation today, he added.

“They came to observe our preparedness and they appeared satisfied that we are deploying various methods to curb the infections.

“The first is the movement control order and the second is the active case detection, where we search, identify, isolate and treat our target groups such as the tabligh cluster or the Rohingya that attended the tabligh event, for example.”

“We already know that about 60% of cases involve tabligh attendees so this cluster is currently our focus.”

The ministry is also holding meetings with local authority and city councils, such as Kuala Lumpur City Hall, on ways to clean up and disinfect public areas.

Noor Hisham said that the ministry has also received personal protective equipment (PPE) and hand sanitiser from China

“Whatever they give, we accept, we don’t mind,” he said.

“Thank God, we have enough doctors so far, but if they want to send people, we will study the matter.” – March 26, 2020.