Unmasking the Determinants of Loss to Follow-Up in Pulmonary Tuberculosis: A Study in Selangor, Malaysia.

Adherence to the 6-month tuberculosis (TB) treatment regimen is challenging due to its duration and side effects, with various factors influencing patient compliance. A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted among newly diagnosed pulmonary TB (pTB) patients in Selangor, Malaysia, undergoing treatment in government primary care clinics and hospitals. Patients who were lost to follow-up (LTFU) within the first six months were determined by reviewing patient records and the national TB registry.

Molecular epidemiology of dengue in Southeast Asia (SEA): Protocol of systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: Dengue fever is a major global public health challenge caused by the Arbovirus and transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes. The increasing incidence of dengue, particularly in the Southeast Asia (SEA) region, including Malaysia, highlights the urgent need for a comprehensive understanding of dengue molecular epidemiology. This study aims to systematically review various aspects of dengue molecular epidemiology to gain insights into the disease's dynamics, transmission and circulation.

Respiratory Symptoms and Health Outcomes of Rhinovirus and Influenza Virus Infections: Implications of Asthma, Diabetes Mellitus and Allergic Rhinitis in Rhinovirus C Infection.

Rhinovirus (RV), classified into RV-A, RV-B, and RV-C, is a prevalent cause of respiratory tract infections (RTIs). Here, we analysed RV infection and its clinical implications among outpatients with acute upper RTIs. Demographic data, baseline comorbidities, clinical symptoms, and health outcomes of RV-infected patients (n = 849) were compared with influenza (n = 417).

Utilizing disease transmission and response capacities to optimize covid-19 control in Malaysia.

Objectives: Public Health Social Measures (PHSM) such as movement restriction movement needed to be adjusted accordingly during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure low disease transmission alongside adequate health system capacities based on the COVID-19 situational matrix proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO). This paper aims to develop a mechanism to determine the COVID-19 situational matrix to adjust movement restriction intensity for the control of COVID-19 in Malaysia.

Methods: Several epidemiological indicators were selected based on the WHO PHSM interim guidance report and validated individually and in several combinations to estimate the community transmission level (CT) and health system response capacity (RC) variables.

Description of the COVID-19 epidemiology in Malaysia.

Introduction: Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, it has spread rapidly across the world and has resulted in recurrent outbreaks. This study aims to describe the COVID-19 epidemiology in terms of COVID-19 cases, deaths, ICU admissions, ventilator requirements, testing, incidence rate, death rate, case fatality rate (CFR) and test positivity rate for each outbreak from the beginning of the pandemic in 2020 till endemicity of COVID-19 in 2022 in Malaysia.

Methods: Data was sourced from the GitHub repository and the Ministry of Health's official COVID-19 website.

Effectiveness of Ultrasound-guided versus Anatomical Landmark-guided Genicular Nerve Block to Treat Chronic Knee Osteoarthritis: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Objectives: There is limited data on the relative effectiveness of different techniques used for administering genicular nerve block (GNB) for pain management of chronic knee osteoarthritis (OA) in the Malaysian population. This study aims to determine and compare the effectiveness of GNB administered using two pain management techniques?"anatomical landmark-guided (ALG) and ultrasound-guided (USG)?"for chronic knee OA in this population.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 40 patients with chronic knee OA who received GNB, 20 of whom underwent treatment with the USG technique and the other 20 with the ALG technique.

Forecasting the effects of vaccination on the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia using SEIRV compartmental models.

Objectives: This study aimed to develop susceptible-exposed-infectious-recovered-vaccinated (SEIRV) models to examine the effects of vaccination on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) case trends in Malaysia during Phase 3 of the National COVID-19 Immunization Program amidst the Delta outbreak.

Methods: SEIRV models were developed and validated using COVID-19 case and vaccination data from the Ministry of Health, Malaysia, from June 21, 2021 to July 21, 2021 to generate forecasts of COVID-19 cases from July 22, 2021 to December 31, 2021. Three scenarios were examined to measure the effects of vaccination on COVID-19 case trends.

The seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in Malaysia: 7 August to 11 October 2020.

Background: From the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic until mid-October 2020, Malaysia recorded ~15,000 confirmed cases. But there could be undiagnosed cases due mainly to asymptomatic infections. Seroprevalence studies can better quantify underlying infection from SARS-CoV-2 by identifying humoral antibodies against the virus.

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on dengue cases in Malaysia.

Background: Globally, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the transmission dynamics and distribution of dengue. Therefore, this study aims to describe the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the geographic and demographic distribution of dengue incidence in Malaysia.

Methods: This study analyzed dengue cases from January 2014 to December 2021 and COVID-19 confirmed cases from January 2020 to December 2021 which was divided into the pre (2014 to 2019) and during COVID-19 pandemic (2020 to 2021) phases.

Surveillance, isolation and genomic characterization of Pteropine orthoreovirus of probable bat origin among patients with acute respiratory infection in Malaysia.

Pteropine orthoreovirus (PRV), an emerging bat-borne virus, has been linked to cases of acute respiratory infections (ARI) in humans. The prevalence, epidemiology and genomic diversity of PRV among ARI of unknown origin were studied. Among 632 urban outpatients tested negative for all known respiratory viruses, 2.

Prevalence and Determinants of Depressive Symptoms among Young Adolescents in Malaysia: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Depression is the most common mental health problem affecting adolescents globally, wherein its increasing prevalence together with the negative health impacts escalates the need for further research in this area. This work determined the prevalence and factors associated with depressive symptoms among young adolescents in Malaysia. A total of 1350 adolescent aged 13 to 14 years in school across nine secondary schools in Selangor state, Malaysia participated in a cross-sectional study.

Development and user testing study of MozzHub: a bipartite network-based dengue hotspot detector.

Traditionally, dengue is controlled by fogging, and the prime location for the control measure is at the patient's residence. However, when Malaysia was hit by the first wave of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), and the government-imposed movement control order, dengue cases have decreased by more than 30% from the previous year. This implies that residential areas may not be the prime locations for dengue-infected mosquitoes.

The Effects of Meteorological Factors on Dengue Cases in Malaysia.

Dengue is a vector-borne disease affected by meteorological factors and is commonly recorded from ground stations. Data from ground station have limited spatial representation and accuracy, which can be overcome using satellite-based Earth Observation (EO) recordings instead. EO-based meteorological recordings can help to provide a better understanding of the correlations between meteorological variables and dengue cases.

COVID-19 in Malaysia: Descriptive Epidemiologic Characteristics of the First Wave.

This study aimed to describe the characteristics of COVID-19 cases and close contacts during the first wave of COVID-19 in Malaysia (23 January 2020 to 26 February 2020), and to analyse the reasons why the outbreak did not continue to spread and lessons that can be learnt from this experience. Characteristics of the cases and close contacts, spatial spread, epidemiological link, and timeline of the cases were examined. An extended SEIR model was developed using several parameters such as the average number of contacts per day per case, the proportion of close contact traced per day and the mean daily rate at which infectious cases are isolated to determine the basic reproduction number (R) and trajectory of cases.

The Determinants of Mental Health Literacy among Young Adolescents in Malaysia.

Mental health literacy (MHL) is an established multifaceted concept that comprises mental health knowledge, help-seeking, and stigma. Adequate MHL (i.e.

Forecasting COVID-19 Case Trends Using SARIMA Models during the Third Wave of COVID-19 in Malaysia.

With many countries experiencing a resurgence in COVID-19 cases, it is important to forecast disease trends to enable effective planning and implementation of control measures. This study aims to develop Seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (SARIMA) models using 593 data points and smoothened case and covariate time-series data to generate a 28-day forecast of COVID-19 case trends during the third wave in Malaysia. SARIMA models were developed using COVID-19 case data sourced from the Ministry of Health Malaysia's official website.

The effects of super spreading events and movement control measures on the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia.

This paper aims to develop an automated web application to generate validated daily effective reproduction numbers (Rt) which can be used to examine the effects of super-spreading events due to mass gatherings and the effectiveness of the various Movement Control Order (MCO) stringency levels on the outbreak progression of COVID-19 in Malaysia. The effective reproduction number, Rt, was estimated by adopting and modifying an Rt estimation algorithm using a validated distribution mean of 3.96 and standard deviation of 4.

Reliability analysis of the Malay version of the center for epidemiologic studies-depression scale (CESD) among adolescents in Malaysia.

Depression is a common mental disorder that affects many adolescents worldwide. Therefore, there is a need for reliable instruments to screen for depression symptoms among adolescents. This study aims to determine the reliability of the Malay version of the Centre of Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CESD) among adolescents in Malaysia.

Effectiveness of the movement control measures during the third wave of COVID-19 in Malaysia.

Objectives: Starting in March 2020, movement control measures were instituted across several phases in Malaysia to break the chain of transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In this study, we developed a susceptible-exposed-infected-recovered (SEIR) model to examine the effects of the various phases of movement control measures on disease transmissibility and the trend of cases during the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia.

Methods: Three SEIR models were developed using the R programming software ODIN interface based on COVID-19 case data from September 1, 2020, to March 29, 2021.

A data driven change-point epidemic model for assessing the impact of large gathering and subsequent movement control order on COVID-19 spread in Malaysia.

The second wave of COVID-19 in Malaysia is largely attributed to a four-day mass gathering held in Sri Petaling from February 27, 2020, which contributed to an exponential rise of COVID-19 cases in the country. Starting from March 18, 2020, the Malaysian government introduced four consecutive phases of a Movement Control Order (MCO) to stem the spread of COVID-19. The MCO was implemented through various non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs).

Tracking the early depleting transmission dynamics of COVID-19 with a time-varying SIR model.

The susceptible-infectious-removed (SIR) model offers the simplest framework to study transmission dynamics of COVID-19, however, it does not factor in its early depleting trend observed during a lockdown. We modified the SIR model to specifically simulate the early depleting transmission dynamics of COVID-19 to better predict its temporal trend in Malaysia. The classical SIR model was fitted to observed total (I total), active (I) and removed (R) cases of COVID-19 before lockdown to estimate the basic reproduction number.

Forecasting daily confirmed COVID-19 cases in Malaysia using ARIMA models.

Introduction: The novel coronavirus infection has become a global threat affecting almost every country in the world. As a result, it has become important to understand the disease trends in order to mitigate its effects. The aim of this study is firstly to develop a prediction model for daily confirmed COVID-19 cases based on several covariates, and secondly, to select the best prediction model based on a subset of these covariates.

Elucidating Mental Health Disorders among Rohingya Refugees: A Malaysian Perspective.

Mental health disorders (MHDs) among refugees has been recognized as a major public health issue. However, to date, there is limited evidence on the prevalence of MHDs among Rohingya refugees in Malaysia. This study aimed to examine the prevalence and associated factors of major depressive disorder (MDD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among Rohingya refugees in Malaysia.

Modelling the Effectiveness of Epidemic Control Measures in Preventing the Transmission of COVID-19 in Malaysia.

Malaysia is currently facing an outbreak of COVID-19. We aim to present the first study in Malaysia to report the reproduction numbers and develop a mathematical model forecasting COVID-19 transmission by including isolation, quarantine, and movement control measures. We utilized a susceptible, exposed, infectious, and recovered (SEIR) model by incorporating isolation, quarantine, and movement control order (MCO) taken in Malaysia.