KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 16 — Malaysia has detected the second case COVID-19 Omicron variant involving its citizen, an eight-year-old girl who returned from Lagos, Nigeria, on Dec 5.
Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said the case was detected after the Institute of Medical Research (IMR) conducted the PCR Genotyping Assay tests on 52 samples from 52 positive cases among travellers returning to Malaysia between Dec 6 and 10.
“Of the total, only one sample identified the possible presence of Omicron variant and a further test involving whole genome sequencing conducted on the sample on Dec 14 verified it.
“This brings the cumulative total pf Omicron variant cases in Malaysia to two with both being imported cases,” he told a press conference at Parliament building today.
Elaborating, Khairy said the result of the RT-PCR test taken by the girl prior to returning to Malaysia with her mother and younger sister, was negative.
