Dialysis cluster started by health workers now has 43 cases

Kota Kinabalu: A Covid-19 cluster named “Dialisis” started by health workers now has 43 cumulative cases, up from 19 when it was announced six days ago, latest data from the Ministry of Health showed.

The cluster in Lahad Datu started by three health workers registered four new cases on Wednesday, raising its active cases to 38 out of 121 people screened.

The health workers from Sandakan and Lahad Datu were found positive on Oct 24-25, before two local social contacts in Lahad Datu were found positive on Oct 30-Nov 3 in the cluster, earlier data indicated.

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On Nov 4, 14 more individuals, all locals, were found positive for the virus also in Lahad Datu, raising the total of cases to 19.

Authorities had not stated where and how the cluster started but the name of the cluster suggests it has something to do with a dialysis centre or practice which has its own stringent standard operating procedures (SOPs) to prevent the disease from spreading during treatment.

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Meanwhile, Sabah’s four biggest clusters involving prisons and temporary detention centres (PTS) recorded single-digit cases on Wednesday.

The biggest cluster in Sabah named Kepayan Prison saw only three new cases while PTS Tawau had two, Rumah Merah (PTS Kota Kinabalu) two and Sandakan Prison one.