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In February 2020, the Malaysian government issued an emergency stimulus package worth US$4.8 billion to counter the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak.

The package implements strategies that include spurring economic growth, promoting investments, and encouraging businesses to adopt automation and digitalization in their processes.

Some US$453 million will go towards the tourism industry, one of the hardest hit by the pandemic.

In February 2020, the Malaysian government issued an emergency stimulus package worth US$4.8 billion to counter the economic impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

The package implements strategies that include spurring economic growth, promoting investments, and encouraging businesses to adopt automation and digitalization in their processes.

The fallout from the virus has caused havoc over supply chains in Malaysia, particularly since China has been Malaysia's largest trading partner for the last 10 years. Trade between the two nations was valued at US$68 billion in 2019.

Investors should seek help from qualified local advisors to better understand how to benefit from these incentives.

Mitigating the immediate impact of COVID-19

The government has devised a number of measures to mitigate the short-term impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, aimed primarily at the tourism industry. Below are some of the key features.

Restructuring and rescheduling of loans

The government has asked financial institutions to provide financial relief to borrowers by rescheduling or restructuring loans, as well as offering payment moratoriums. There will be a 100 percent stamp duty exemption arising from these rescheduling, restructuring, or moratoriums. The exemption is given from March 1, 2020, until December 31, 2020.

Assisting the cashflow of small and medium-sized enterprises

Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), the country's central bank, will provide 2 billion-ringgit (US$453 million) worth in loans for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The funds will be distributed through commercial banks at an interest rate capped at 3.75 percent per annum.

Each SME will be eligible to receive up to 1 million ringgit (US$226,000) with a tenure of 5.5 years - this includes a 6-months payment moratorium. The government will provide banks with an 80 percent guarantee on the loans.

Moreover, the government has prepared a 200 million ringgit 500 million ringgit (US$43 million) micro-credit scheme for small businesses in the tourism industry.

Tax exemptions and deferments

Travel agencies, hotels, airlines, as well as businesses in the tourism industry, will be given a deferment of their monthly tax installments for six months starting April 1, 2020. Hotels will also be exempt from service tax from March 1, 2020, until August 31, 2020.

Discount vouchers for tourism

To support the tourism industry, the government has allocated US$113 million in the form of:

Travel discount vouchers - the government, in collaboration with airlines, resorts, and hotels, will offer discount vouchers of to 100 ringgit (US$22) per person, starting March 2020; and

Increased tourism promotion - 30 million ringgit (US$6 million) will be provided to Tourism Malaysia, the country's tourism board, to increase promotion on Malaysian tourism in the Middle East, Europe, ASEAN, and South Asia.

Tax relief for domestic tourists

A special income tax relief worth 1,000 ringgit (US$226) is available to individuals for expenses on domestic tourism from March 1, 2020, to August 31, 2020.

This is limited to entrance fees for tourist attractions and expenses on accommodations at premises registered with the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture.

Extra funding for skills training

The government will provide 100 million ringgit (US$45 million) to help businesses affected by COVID-19 to upgrade the skills of its workers. This includes for sectors, such as retail, hospitality, and tourism in addition to electrical, electronic, and automotive manufacturing.

Another 50 million ringgit (US$11 million) will be provided to finance short courses, in particular, to improve the digital skills of employees, and 20 million ringgit (US$4.5 million) will be allocated to fund short courses for employees in the manufacturing sector.

Spurring economic growth

The package aims to spur economic growth by boosting household income and implementing 'people-centric projects'.

Reducing the employee contribution towards the Employee Provident Fund (EPF)

The Employee Provident Fund (EPF) is a compulsory saving and retirement plan for private-sector workers in Malaysia. Employees usually contribute between 11 percent to seven percent from their monthly salary. This has now been reduced to four percent, potentially increasing cash in the hands of households by some 10 billion ringgit (US$2.2 billion).

Financial assistance to low-income households

Low-income households will begin receiving a monthly payment of 200 ringgit (US$45) scheduled for May to be paid in March. Families will also receive an additional one-off payment of 100 ringgit (US$22).

Implementing small scale infrastructure projects

The government has allocated 2 billion ringgit (US$450 million) for infrastructure projects, such as maintaining roads, bridges, streetlights, drainage systems, and water supplies, among others, at the federal, state, and local government level. This is aimed at assisting small-scale contractors and encouraging economic activities.

From this budget, 200 million ringgit (US$45 million) is assigned to the repair and maintenance of housing and public amenities whereas 150 million ringgit (US$33 million) will go towards the maintenance of alternative electricity and water supply in rural areas.

BNM has allocated a loan scheme for SMEs involved in the food production industry totaling 1 billion ringgit (US$226 million).

The loan scheme is available for a period of eight years at 3.75 percent interest; an eligible SME will able to receive 5 million ringgit (US$1.1 million).

In addition, the government will allocate 40 million ringgit (US$9 million) to help SMEs in the agriculture sector. This fund will be used to enable SMEs to sell their products on e-commerce platforms and therefore to a larger pool of consumers.

Encouraging investment growth

To sustain economic growth and private consumption, the government will provide incentives to encourage more private investments, while also accelerating public investments.

This includes accelerating the estimated 3 billion ringgit intended for the National Fiberization and Connective Program (NCP). The NCP aims to improve broadband quality and coverage and provide internet access across the country to all spectrum of society. A further 13 billion ringgit (US$2.9 billion) is planned in expenditure for the installation of LED street lighting, rooftop solar panels, and transmission lines.

The government will also open the tender for a 1,400 MW solar power project this year, which is expected to generate 5 billion ringgit (US$1.1 billion) in investments.

Funding for startups

Some 500 million ringgit (US$113 million) will be available for early stage and growth stage Malaysian companies. This fund will be co-funded by the government and the private sector.

SME digitalization and automation

A total of 300 million ringgit (US$68 million) in loans has been prepared for SMEs looking to digitalize or automate their business. The financing can be used to help purchase hardware, software, and other IT solutions and services, in addition to equipment and machinery.

Eligible SMEs can receive up to 3 million ringgit (US$679,000) with the tenure offered up until 10 years.

Sales tax and import duty exemption on equipment and machinery

This incentive is exclusive for port operators who need to import machinery or equipment, used in port operations. The incentive is valid from April 1, 2020, to March 31, 2023.

Waiver of listing fees

The Securities Commission and Bursa Malaysia will waiver listing fees for companies seeking to list on the LEAP or ACE market. This waiver is valid for a 12-month period. The incentive is also open to companies with a market capitalization of less than 500 million ringgit (US$113 million) seeking to list on the Main Market.
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Malaysia Issues Stimulus Package to Combat COVID-19 Impact

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In February 2020, the Malaysian government issued an emergency stimulus package worth US$4.8 billion to counter the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak. The package implements strategies that include spurring economic growth, promoting investments, and encouraging businesses to adopt automation and digitalization in their processes.

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Muhyiddin: Tourism industry hit hardest by Covid-19, faces RM3.37b loss

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KUALA LUMPUR, March 13 — The outbreak of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) has hit the nation’s tourism sector hard, with an expected loss of RM3.37 billion within the first…

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Fund injection to counter Covid-19 impact on tourism, says minister | New Straits Times

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SHAH ALAM: Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry will consider funding injection to help tourism players counter the impact of the Covid-19 that has now affected almost every part of the globe.

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Visit Malaysia 2020 cancelled over virus impact

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PETALING JAYA: The Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry has cancelled the ongoing Visit Malaysia 2020 in light of the Covid-19 outbreak.

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Malaysia was placed under lock-down in March as coronavirus cases continued to rise. Credit: Shutterstock.com

Visit our Covid-19 microsite for the latest coronavirus news, analysis and updates
GlobalData's latest Coronavirus Influencers dashboard is now live on Pharmaceutical Technology and it enables you to track the latest developments related to the coronavirus outbreak and follow twitter activity of leading influencers on the epidemic.
Coronavirus-affected countries: Latest on coronavirus: suspected countries on the rise Coronavirus outbreak: Full list of the affected countries Coronavirus safety measures at world airports Vaccines/drugs in the pipeline for coronavirus prevention and treatment Coronavirus on cruise ships: Measures and impact on tourism
Due to its close trade ties with China and Singapore, which top the list of countries with coronavirus, Malaysia could feel the spill-over effects of the coronavirus impact.

Following the initial preventive measures, the number of Malaysia coronavirus cases started to stabilise but started to rise again.

Covid 19 Malaysia Update: Confirmed, recoveries and deaths

Malaysia COVID 19 cases surged after 05 March. The cases increased sharply by 80% to 428 on 15 March, compared to 238 on the previous day, and further to 2,908 on 01 April.

The latest cases are reported from a religious gathering, which was attended by 16,000 people including 14,500 Malaysians. Approximately half of the total cases in the country are being reported from the group. The government is trying to track down more than 2,000 Rohingya men who attended the event and are yet to come forward to get tested as they are considered as illegal immigrants.

Malaysia also reported the first deaths due to coronavirus in the country on 17 March. A total of 45 deaths have been reported in the country.

The first human-to-human transmission of coronavirus in Malaysia was detected on 12 March causing concerns of the pandemic spread.

Malaysia joined the list of countries with coronavirus when the first case was confirmed on 25 January 2020. The infected was a 40-year man that arrived from Wuhan to Johor.

Coronavirus infection on cruise ships: Kuala Lumpur coronavirus cases

Two Malaysians have been tested positive on the Diamond Princess cruise ship, which is quarantined at the Port of Yokohama, Japan.

The American national that tested positive for coronavirus in Kuala Lumpur is an 83-year-old woman who was among 145 passengers aboard Holland America Line's MS Westerdam cruise ship that was allowed to dock in Cambodia.

Malaysian Airlines brought the 145 passengers from the Westerdam cruise ship to Kuala Lumpur in one of the four planned special charter flights on 14 February, for further outbound travel to their final destinations.

After detecting coronavirus in the woman, Malaysian Airlines cancelled the remaining three chartered flights. The US national was admitted to Sungai Buloh Hospital along with her husband.

After discovering that the 14 th coronavirus case in Malaysia occurred through human-to-human transmission, the government started taking even stricter control measures to contain further spread.

The Ministry of Health has facilitated coronavirus screening at 48 hospitals and announced 26 referral hospitals to treat coronavirus suspected and positive cases.

Stimulus package announced

The Malaysian government announced a stimulus package worth RM20bn ($4.56bn) to enable the tourism and other industries in the country to deal with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

A second stimulus package worth RM250bn ($58bn) was announced, out of which RM25bn ($6bn) will be provided to help families and business owners affected by the outbreak. The people affected will be provided with one-off payments and discounts will be offered on utilities.

Further, RM1bn ($232m) has been earmarked towards a food security fund to aid the agriculture sector. A RM50bn ($12bn) loan scheme will also be set-up for larger companies. The scheme will offer guarantees for up to 80% of the amount borrowed by the companies.

The state of Sarawak announced a stimulus package of RM1.15bn ($263bn) for the state to deal with the economic impact of the outbreak. The government also announced deferring of loan payments, waiver of payments and discounts on basic government services.

Coronavirus: Malaysia lock-down

The Malaysian government announced a nation-wide lock-down starting from 18 March with the increasing coronavirus cases in the country. Under the movement control order (MCO), except essential services, all others will be closed.

The restrictions imposed have enabled in flattening the infections curve in the country, according to health officials. The Malaysian Institute of Economic Research (MIER) estimated the cases to increase at a rate of 12.5% per day but the actual increase is 7.5% per day.

A second phase of the MCO commenced on 01 April and will be implemented until 14 April. This includes the reduction in operating hours for supermarkets, convenience stores and petrol stations. All private and government offices, business premises and places of worship will also be closed.

Hulu Langat in Selangor, which has reported a rise in cases, has been placed under enhanced MCO restricting people from leaving their homes even for essential needs. More than 3,900 residents from 700 homes will not be allowed to leave their homes between 30 March and 13 April.

All businesses in the area will also be closed and the residents will be supplied food by the authorities.

Evacuations from Wuhan

The Malaysian government evacuated 107 Malaysians including their family members from Wuhan, China, on 04 February 2020 and isolated them for monitoring at the Higher Education Leadership Academy (Akademi Kepimpinan Pendidikan Tinggi -AKEPT).

None of the evacuees has been tested coronavirus-positive. The evacuees will be allowed to return to their homes upon completion of the quarantine period.

Malaysia coronavirus: Quarantine and travel restrictions by Sabah and Sarawak

Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak both announced temporary travel restrictions. While Sabah restricts visitors holding China passports from entering the state, Sarawak restricts all Chinese citizens as well as foreigners with a travel history to China in the last 14 days from entering the state.

Singaporean citizens entering Sarawak for a short-term visit are allowed if they agree to undergo a 14-day home-quarantine.

Malaysians have been additionally advised to avoid travel to affected regions in Japan, Italy and Iran, the imports from which have been high to other countries in the rest of the world.

The country also closed its borders until 31 March, preventing any foreigners from entering or leaving the country.

Immigration and visa cancellations to Chinese nationals from coronavirus-affected areas

Malaysia cancelled immigration facilities including visas to Chinese from Wuhan and other cities near Hubei province from 27 January, in order to contain the coronavirus import.

Is it safe to travel to Malaysia: Coronavirus preventive measures at airports and ports

The government has mandated symptomatic checks on all passengers arriving in Malaysia. Health Alert Cards (HACs) are being issued to flying passengers indicating their health status. A number of flights have been cancelled by Malaysian Airlines and AirAsia to Chinese cities including Shanghai and Beijing, as well as Hong Kong and Macao.

Airlines are currently allowing cancellation of booked tickets until the end of March and offering either full refund or credit account.

Following the coronavirus confirmation in the US national that was aboard MS Westerdam, Malaysia started rejecting entry of cruise ships operated via China and those berthed in China earlier during the coronavirus outbreak period.

Contact tracing by Malaysian Epidemiology Bureau

The Malaysian Epidemiology Bureau is tracing those in contact with persons tested positive for coronavirus. Those asymptomatic are being home-quarantined, while those with symptoms are being admitted as PUIs for observation and testing.

Joint Working Group formed with Singapore

Malaysia and Singapore have formed a joint working group (JWG) to prevent the spread of the virus. Led by the deputy health ministries of both the countries, the JWG will focus on sharing information on various aspects including the clinical management of patients.

The JWG will enable both countries to adopt similar border screening procedures and expand border cooperation. It will also facilitate information exchange on surveillance data and public advisories.

Impact of coronavirus on Malaysia

Travel and tourism and associated sectors such as accommodation (hotels) are expected to be among the most affected sectors in Malaysia, apart from the oil and gas and other export-oriented industries.

Export-related activities account for approximately 40% of the jobs in Malaysia.

The country's fiscal deficit is expected to increase to 4% of GDP in 2020, according to government officials.

Coronavirus impact on tourism and travel

Travel and tourism is a crucial contributor to Malaysia's economy, with travel alone accounting for nearly 50% of Malaysia's export trade in services. Annual tourist arrivals to Malaysia are approximately 27 million.

The coronavirus impact on tourism industry in Malaysian will depend on how coronavirus spreads in Singapore than in China, because tourists to Malaysia are the highest from Singapore at approximately 39%, whereas those from China are at a lower 12%.

Human-to-human transmission of coronavirus in Singapore is currently higher and could lead to tour cancellations to avoid risk ultimately leading to drop in tourists to Malaysia.

Falling crude prices to affect state revenue

Lower output of crude oil and natural gas due to falling crude prices amid coronavirus epidemic in China are expected to affect the revenues from energy exports. The crude oil prices have corrected by up to 20% since their peak so far, in 2020.

Knock-on effect of coronavirus in trade partner nations

Malaysia is expected to feel the knock-on effect of coronavirus impact on its major trading partners, whose economies are likely to be affected.

Singapore and China, which are among Malaysia's biggest trading partners, are dealing with the damage the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak could cause to their economies and industrial productivity. China and Singapore together account for 30% of Malaysia's trade, China's being higher at approximately 18%.

In 2018, Malaysian exports to China and Singapore were at approximately 18.9% each.

Imports too are the highest from China, which means a disruption to the operations of Chinese exporters could impact the domestic manufacturers in Malaysia that are dependent on Chinese raw materials.

Further, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Japan, which have the highest FDI in Malaysia, are affected by the coronavirus and could see an economic impact. Singapore has the highest FDI in Malaysia at 20.7%, followed by Hong Kong at 12.8% and Japan at 10.8%.

COVID-19: Economic impact on Malaysia

Malaysia's economic growth has slowed down to 4.3% in 2019, the lowest since 2016 and below the average 5.4% growth rate recorded since 2010. Economic growth in Q4 2019 was the lowest in ten years, at 3.6%.

Bank Negara Malaysia, which is the Central Bank of Malaysia, announced that the coronavirus outbreak will affect Malaysia's economic growth in Q1 2020. The bank announced a cut in the statutory reserve ratio (SRR) by 100 basis points to 2% on 19 March. It also released 30 billion ringgit ($6.81bn) into the banking system.

The World Bank has cut Malaysia GDP growth rate from 4.5% to -0.1% in 2020. The revised growth rate takes into account the slower growth momentum owing to the coronavirus pandemic.

The small and medium enterprises in the country have announced that they expect zero cashflow over the next three months due to the lock-down.

Coronavirus damage control measures by the Malaysian government

The Malaysian government is taking a number of fiscal and non-fiscal measures in response to the coronavirus outbreak, to contain the impact on its economy, as listed below.

Tourism Recovery Committee allaying coronavirus fears

The Malaysian Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MoTAC) has recognised the potential damage the coronavirus outbreak could cause to the tourism industry. It established a Tourism Recovery Committee to prevent coronavirus fears in tourists and find new markets to attract tourists into the country in order to offset the fall in tourists from China.

Despite the measures, the Malaysian travel and hospitality sectors could be affected due to lower inbound tourists/visitors.

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Coronavirus: Malaysia Covid-19 updates, cases, measures and impact

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See coronavirus Malaysia latest updates, Malaysia COVID-19 coronavirus cases, travel restrictions, status in Kuala Lumpur and Sarawak, measures and impact. coronavirus malaysia; covid 19 malaysia update; Malaysia COVID 19 cases

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To help counter the Covid - 19 pandemic, the government of Malaysia initiated the Movement Control Order (MCO), effective on 18 March 2020, in order to increase social distancing and slow down the transmission rate of the virus. The order is expected to last for two weeks and end on 31 March 2020.
UPDATE: On 25 March, the Prime Minister announced that the MCO will be extended until 14 April.
UPDATE: On 10 April, the Prime Minister announced that the MCO will be extended until 28 April.
UPDATE: On 23 April, the Prime Minister announced that the MCO will be extended until 12 May.

Under MCO, the MDBC office will be closed from Wednesday, 18 March - the end of the MCO.

During this period, and as you already notice from our current messages, please be assured that MDBC will continue to operate, we will monitor and update you whenever necessary. Our team is operating remotely from our homes and we are committed to maintain our communications and engagements with you, whether on the current situation or on any other issues or questions you might have. We will not be reachable via our office telephone, e - mail will be the main form of communication, and, if required, we can set up a conference call.

We encourage everyone to heed preventive and general hygiene measures; making sure to follow the guidelines set by professional and regulatory agencies.

From all of us at the MDBC team, stay healthy & safe.
MDBC will always make the best effort to ensure that all information posted on this page is up to date. However, this is a dynamic and continually changing situation so please double check the primary sources (links included per section) for the latest updates.

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Dear Members, To help counter the Covid - 19 pandemic, the government of Malaysia initiated the Movement Control Order (MCO), effective on 18 March 2020, in order to increase social distancing and slow down the transmission rate of the virus. The order is expected to last for two weeks and end on 31 March 2020.

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The answers to all your questions on the disease outbreak spreading across the world

The new coronavirus (Covid-19) has spread to nearly every country in the world since it first emerged in China at the beginning of the year. More than 2.9 million people are known to be infected and more than 206,000 deaths have been recorded - including 20,732 in the UK.

What is a coronavirus?

Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that cause disease in animals. Seven, including the new virus, have made the jump to humans, but most just cause cold-like symptoms.

Covid-19 is closely related to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) which swept around the world in 2002 to 2003. That virus infected around 8,000 people and killed about 800 but it soon ran itself out, largely because most of those infected were seriously ill so it was easier to control.

Another coronavirus is Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), cases of which have been occurring sporadically since it first emerged in 2012 - there have been around 2,500 cases and nearly 900 deaths.

Covid-19 is different to these two other coronaviruses in that the spectrum of disease is broad, with around 80 per cent of cases leading to a mild infection. There may also be many people carrying the disease and displaying no symptoms, making it even harder to control.

So far, around 20 per cent of Covid-19 cases have been classed as "severe" and the current death rate varies between 0.7 per cent and 3.4 per cent depending on the location and, crucially, access to good hospital care.

Scientists in China believe that Covid-19 has mutated into two strains, one more aggressive than the other, which could make developing a vaccine more complicated.

How did the outbreak start?

The source of the coronavirus is believed to be a "wet market" in Wuhan which sold both dead and live animals including fish and birds.

Such markets pose a heightened risk of viruses jumping from animals to humans because hygiene standards are difficult to maintain if live animals are being kept and butchered on site. Typically, they are also densely packed allowing disease to spread from species to species.

The animal source of Covid-19 has not yet been identified, but the original host is thought to be bats. Bats were not sold at the Wuhan market but may have infected live chickens or other animals sold there.

Bats are host to a wide range of zoonotic viruses including Ebola, HIV and rabies.

How big could the pandemic get?

The disease has already taken hold in Europe, the United States and South-East Asia and is beginning to wreak havoc in Africa and South America. The World Health Organisation is particularly concerned at the ability of the poorest countries in the world to control the disease. To find out more about what is likely to happen, click here.

What are the symptoms of coronavirus?

Initial symptoms include fever, dry cough, tiredness and a general feeling of being unwell. Other symptoms are emerging such as a lost of taste and smell and stomach problems. For a full read-out of the symptoms and treatment of coronavirus, click here.

Is coronavirus in the UK?

A total of 152,840 people in the UK have tested positive for the virus.

An elderly person with underlying health issues became the first person in Britain to die having been diagnosed with the disease, Royal Berkshire NHS Trust confirmed on March 5. Since then, a total of 20,732 people have died.

Police have been handed unprecedented powers to force those at risk of coronavirus into quarantine amid fears that two GPs may have passed the virus on to patients.

Everyone in the UK must now stay at home, Boris Johnson has urged, as he implemented the biggest restriction of civil liberties "in peacetime".

Is there a cure for coronavirus?

There is no specific treatment, although doctors are trialling existing drugs for viruses such as Ebola, malaria and HIV. Early results seem promising but, until full clinical trials have been concluded, doctors cannot be certain that the drugs are effective.

Work to develop a vaccine is accelerating but it is unlikely to be available until next year.

How is coronavirus spread?

Like cold and flu bugs, the virus is spread via droplets when a person coughs or sneezes. The droplets land on surfaces and are picked up on the hands of others and spread further. People catch the virus when they touch their infected hands to their mouth, nose or eyes.

It follows that the single most important thing you can do to protect yourself is keep your hands clean by washing them frequently with soap and water or a hand sanitising gel.

Is coronavirus airborne?

There is some debate about whether the disease is airborne - there is no evidence for it yet, but that could change. Airborne viruses linger for a longer period of time than those spread by droplets and can also be spread in air conditioning and ventilation systems.

The current advice is that the disease can only be spread between close contacts - defined as spending more than 15 minutes within 2m of an infected person.

Who started the coronavirus?

Various crazy conspiracy theories have been circulating that the virus somehow escaped from a Chinese lab, either by accident or design. However, this is categorically untrue and scientists studying its genetic code have linked it to bats. It probably then jumped to another animal, which passed it on to humans.

The number of diseases crossing from animals to humans is growing, and teams of virus hunters are tracking them down.

Should I cancel my travel plans?

On March 17, the Foreign Office advised British nationals to avoid all non-essential foreign travel for at least 30 days. On April 4, the FCO extended this guidance, stating: "We now advise against all non-essential global travel - indefinitely. Travellers could face severe disruption and be unable to return to the UK."

In any case, several countries have established travel bans, preventing Britons and foreign nationals from entering. Donald Trump announced a ban on visitors to the US from Europe and the UK, while many other countries will not allow entry to British citizens.

How serious is the disease?

According to data on the first 44,000 cases released by the Chinese authorities, 80 per cent of cases are mild.

In roughly 14 per cent of cases the virus causes severe disease, including pneumonia, and shortness of breath. In about five per cent of patients it is critical, leading to respiratory failure, septic shock and multiple organ failure.

According to the WHO, the death rate in Wuhan is two to four per cent, whereas in the rest of China it is around 0.7 per cent.

The death rate around the world varies greatly, and there are multiple reasons for this: experts believe it could be to do with the way deaths are counted, the age of the people affected and the state of the health service in each country.

How does this coronavirus compare to past respiratory epidemics?

The 1918 Spanish Influenza - or the H1N1 virus - remains the most devastating flu pandemic in modern history. The disease swept around the globe and is estimated to have caused between 50 and 100 million deaths.

A cousin of the same virus was also behind the 2009 swine flu outbreak, thought to have killed as many as 575,400 people.

Other major influenza outbreaks include Asian flu in 1957, which led to roughly two million deaths, and Hong Kong flu, which killed one million people 11 years later.

Is there anything I should be doing to prevent myself getting it?

Yes - there are plenty of basic precautions you can take to protect yourself against catching respiratory viruses of this type - as well as following government advice and staying at home.
Protect yourself and your family by learning more about Global Health Security.

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What is coronavirus, how did it start and how big could it get?

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The answers to all your questions on the disease outbreak spreading across the world The new coronavirus (Covid-19) has spread to nearly every country in the world since it first emerged in China at the beginning of the year.

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CDC - CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTOL AND PREVENTION

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CDC - CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTOL AND PREVENTION

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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Updated April 19, 2020

This is a rapidly evolving situation and CDC will provide updated information and guidance as it becomes available.

CDC is responding to a pandemic of respiratory disease spreading from person to person caused by a novel (new) coronavirus. The disease has been named "coronavirus disease 2019" (abbreviated "COVID-19"). This situation poses a serious public health risk. The federal government is working closely with state, local, tribal, and territorial partners as well as public health partners, to respond to this situation. COVID-19 can cause mild to severe illness; most severe illness occurs in adults 65 years and older and people of any age with serious underlying medical problems.

Situation in U.S.

Different parts of the country are seeing different levels of COVID-19 activity. The United States nationally is in the acceleration phase of the pandemic. The duration and severity of each pandemic phase can vary depending on the characteristics of the virus and the public health response.

CDC and state and local public health laboratories are testing for the virus that causes COVID-19. For more details, view CDC's Public Health Laboratory Testing map.

All 50 states have reported cases of COVID-19 to CDC.

U.S. COVID-19 cases include:

People who were infected while travelling, before returning to the United States

People who were infected after having close contact with someone known to be infected with the virus

People in a community who were infected with the virus but don't know how or where they were infected

All U.S. states are reporting community spread of COVID-19.

View latest case counts, deaths, demographic characteristics, and a map of states with reported cases.

For more information about COVID-19, contact a state health department or local health departmentexternal icon .

CDC Recommends

Everyone can do their part to help us respond to this emerging public health threat by following CDC recommendations:

Wear a cloth face covering in public settings to avoid spreading COVID-19 to others in case you are infected but do not have symptoms.

The cloth face cover is meant to protect other people in case you are infected.

The cloth face coverings recommended are not surgical masks or N-95 respirators. Those are considered critical supplies that should be reserved for healthcare workers and other first responders, as recommended by CDC.

The cloth face covering is not a substitute for social distancing.

CDC continues to recommend that people try keep about 6 feet between themselves and others.

The White House "Slow the Spread" guidelinespdf icon external icon are in place until April 30. These are part of a nationwide effort to slow the spread of COVID-19 through the use of social distancing at all levels of society. On April 16, the White House released Guidelines for Opening Up America Againexternal icon , a phased approach to help state and local officials reopen their economies, get people back to work, and continue to protect American lives.

People who are sick

If you get a fever or cough, consider whether you might have COVID-19, depending on where you live, your travel history, and other exposures. All of the United States is seeing some level of community spread of COVID-19. You may ask to be tested for COVID-19 by contacting a medical provider or health department, but it's important that you know there is no treatment for this virus. Most people who get the virus have mild illness and are able to recover at home without medical care.

People at higher risk for severe illness

People 65 years and older and people with serious underlying medical conditions should take special precautions because they are at higher risk of developing severe COVID-19 illness.

Travelers

American citizens, lawful permanent residents, and their families who have been in one of the countries with travel restrictions for entering the United States in the past 14 days will be allowed to enter the United States but will be redirected to one of 13 airports. After you return from one of these countries, you should stay home and monitor your health.

All other international travelers, please follow CDC instructions during this time. Your cooperation is integral to the ongoing public health response to try to slow spread of this virus.

Healthcare Providers

If you are a healthcare provider, use your judgment to determine if a patient has signs and symptoms compatible with COVID-19 and whether the patient should be tested. CDC's Criteria to Guide Evaluation and Laboratory Testing for COVID-19 provides priorities for testing patients with suspected COVID-19 infection.

COVID-19 Background

COVID-19 is caused by a new coronavirus. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that are common in people and many different species of animals, including camels, cattle, cats, and bats. Rarely, animal coronaviruses can infect people and then spread between people such as with MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV, and now with this new virus, named SARS-CoV-2.

The SARS-CoV-2 virus is a betacoronavirus, like MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV. All three of these viruses have their origins in bats. The sequences from U.S. patients are similar to the one that China initially posted, suggesting a likely single, recent emergence of this virus from an animal reservoir.

Early on, many of the patients at the epicenter of the outbreak in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China had some link to a large seafood and live animal market, suggesting animal-to-person spread. Later, a growing number of patients reportedly did not have exposure to animal markets, indicating person-to-person spread. Person-to-person spread was subsequently reported outside Hubei and in countries outside China, including in the United States. Most international destinations now have ongoing community spread with the virus that causes COVID-19, as does the United States. Community spread means some people have been infected and it is not known how or where they became exposed. Learn more about the spread of this coronavirus that is causing COVID-19.

Severity

The complete clinical picture of COVID-19 is not fully known. Reported illnesses have ranged from very mild (including some people with no reported symptoms) to severe, including illness resulting in death. While information so far suggests that the majority of COVID-19 illnesses are mild, an early reportexternal icon out of China found serious illness in 16% of people who were infected. A CDC Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report that looked at severity of disease among COVID-19 patients in the United States by age group found that 80% of deaths were among adults 65 years and older, with the highest percentage of severe outcomes occurring in people 85 years and older. People with serious underlying medical conditions - like serious heart conditions, chronic lung disease, and diabetes, for example - also seem to be at higher risk of developing severe COVID-19 illness.

Risk Assessment

The risk posed by COVID-19 depends on characteristics of the virus, including how easily it spreads between people; the severity of resulting illness; and the medical or other measures available to control the impact of the virus (for example, vaccines or medications that can treat the illness) and the relative success of these. Because there are not yet vaccines or treatments for COVID-19, nonpharmaceutical interventions become the most important response strategy. These are community interventions that can help reduce the impact of disease, like social distancing and good hand hygiene.

When considering the risk that COVID-19 poses to Americans, it's helpful to break down this risk into two types: risk of exposure and risk of serious illness and death.

Risk of exposure

Cases of COVID-19 and instances of community spread are being reported in all states.

People in places where ongoing community spread of the virus that causes COVID-19 has been reported are at elevated risk of exposure, with the level of their risk depending on their location.

Healthcare workers caring for patients with COVID-19 are at elevated risk of exposure.

Close contacts of persons with COVID-19 also are at elevated risk of exposure.

Travelers returning from affected international locations where community spread is occurring also are at elevated risk of exposure, with their level of risk depending on where they traveled.

Risk of severe illness

Based on what we know now, persons at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19 are:

CDC has developed guidance to help individuals and healthcare providers assess the risk and manage illness among people with potential community-related exposures to COVID-19.

COVID-19 Pandemic

A pandemic is a global outbreak of disease. Pandemics happen when a new virus emerges to infect people and can spread between people sustainably. Because there is little to no pre-existing immunity against the new virus, it spreads worldwide.

The virus that causes COVID-19 is infecting people and spreading easily from person-to-person. On March 11, the COVID-19 outbreak was characterized as a pandemic by the WHOexternal icon .

This is the first pandemic known to be caused by a new coronavirus. In the past century, there have been four pandemics caused by the emergence of new influenza viruses. As a result, most research and guidance around pandemics is specific to influenza, but the same premises can be applied to the current COVID-19 pandemic. Pandemics of respiratory disease follow a certain progression outlined in a " Pandemic Intervals Framework." Pandemics begin with an investigation phase, followed by recognition, initiation, and acceleration phases. The peak of illnesses occurs at the end of the acceleration phase, which is followed by a deceleration phase, during which there is a decrease in illnesses. Different countries can be in different phases of the pandemic at any point in time and different parts of the same country can also be in different phases of a pandemic.

CDC Response

Global efforts at this time are focused concurrently on lessening the spread and impact of this virus. The federal government is working closely with state, local, tribal, and territorial partners, as well as public health partners, to respond to this public health threat.

View highlights of CDC's response.

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Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Situation Summary

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Updated April 19, 2020 This is a rapidly evolving situation and CDC will provide updated information and guidance as it becomes available. CDC is responding to a pandemic of respiratory disease spreading from person to person caused by a novel (new) coronavirus. The disease has been named "coronavirus disease 2019" (abbreviated "COVID-19").

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COVID-19 affects different people in different ways. Most infected people will develop mild to moderate illness and recover without hospitalization.
Most common symptoms: Less common symptoms:

sore throat

headache

aches and pains

diarrhoea

a rash on skin, or discolouration of fingers or toes

red or irritated eyes.

Serious symptoms:

difficulty breathing or shortness of breath

loss of speech or mobility, or confusion

Seek immediate medical attention if you have serious symptoms. Always call before visiting your doctor or health facility.

People with mild symptoms who are otherwise healthy should manage their symptoms at home.

On average it takes 5-6 days from when someone is infected with the virus for symptoms to show, however it can take up to 14 days.

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COVID-19 | Malaysia Outbreak Monitor | Live Updates

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COVID-19 | Malaysia Outbreak Monitor | Live Updates

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Find out the current outbreak in Malaysia and the world, COVID-19 | News & Stats for coronavirus in Malaysia and the world