Brought in Dead

By Michelle Ng

Earlier this week a community leader sent me a Whatsapp message:

“Selamat tengahari YB…Hari ini ada kes kematian…tapi tak pasti puncanya. Cuma dapat tahu dia dah 4 hari demam tapi tak nak pergi klinik. Dah berumur.”

My heart broke.

“Telefon polis kak. Dan update saya berkenaan punca kematian ya”

“Ok”

The next day she responded.

“Untuk makluman YB. Kes kematian semalam confirm positif Covid”

I was devastated. This means that the death was probably preventable with early intervention. I quickly recorded a voice message for her to advice the community on what to do when they have Covid-like symptoms.

In recent news, Director General of Health, Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham announced that a total of 4,856 deaths were reported in 2021. Of the total deaths in 2021, 670 deaths were reported before arrival at the hospital (BID),” he said in a statement.

He said most BID cases involved victims aged 50 to 70 years (76.7 per cent) with at least a comorbidity (64.5 per cent).

There is a dire need for us to be reminded again about what to do when faced with Covid-19:-

(1) if you are symptomatic or if you have been in close contact with a positive case, undergo immediate medical screening and testing. For senior citizens, an option is to visit BP Lab in Glenmarie, which provides PCR tests at half price. For non-seniors, our research shows that QHC Medical Centre in Taipan provides the cheapest PCR test at RM220.

(2) Quarantine responsibly whilst waiting for your test results.

(3) If you are tested positive, update your status through the MySejahtera app. The nearest Pejabat Kesihatan Daerah will be notified of your case. Head to the Covid Assessment Centre in Stadium Melawati immediately.

(4) If you suffer from the following warning signs, immediately seek treatment at the nearest health facility. Call 999. The warning signs are prolonged fever; breathing difficulties; chest pain; lack of appetite to eat or drink; worsening fatigue; lack of consciousness and confusion; coughing, vomiting and worsening diarrhoea; less urination; lips or fingers becoming bluish; and oxygen saturation.

Residents, please do not take this lightly. For those who are caring for a patient under quarantine, check on them frequently through video call and watch out for warning signs.

Our country is in dire straits. And in such conditions, we all must band together to do our part. Stay safe and take care, Subang Jaya. We will get through this together.