MIRI – Many cases of brought-in-dead Covid-19 patients in Sarawak lost their lives at home when they suddenly suffered from a life-threatening lack of oxygen.
State Disaster Management Committee adviser Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian said detailed studies of these brought-in-dead cases in Sarawak showed that many of the deceased were unaware of their grave condition.
“They suffered silent hypoxemia, a critical lack of oxygen, but there were no symptoms.
“Many of them looked well even though they had Covid-19,” he said in his daily social media updates on the coronavirus situation.
Dr Sim, who is also the state housing and local government minister, said yesterday saw five more Covid-19 deaths in Sarawak, including another brought-in-dead case.
“Though we are very fortunate to have a high vaccination rate in Sarawak, the infection is more virulent with the surge of cases in Kuching due to the Delta variant, which is spread by aerosol.
“It is spread by short exposure, but only detected as positive in PCR tests much later after day 10.
“Everyone still needs to be on high alert,” he said.
He said that Sarawak General Hospital insists that anyone who dies at home in Kuching and its outer districts will be sent to the hospital mortuary for PCR swab tests.
The coronavirus death toll in Sarawak is 508 as of yesterday evening.
Kuching has been seeing infections increasing by the hundreds every day since about two weeks ago.
The districts of Kuching, Bau, Lundu, Serian, Samarahan, Simunjan, Tebedu, and Asajaya are also under a 10pm to 5am curfew. – The Vibes, August 26, 2021
