Factors Associated with Asymptomatic COVID-19 Patients in Petaling District, Selangor, Malaysia

Authors

  • Lim Kuang Kuay, MSc Institute for Public Health
  • Ainul Nadziha Mohd Hanafiah, MD Institute for Health Systems Research, National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health Malaysia.
  • Lee Soo Cheng, MD Petaling District Health Office, Ministry of Health Malaysia,
  • Chan Ying Ying, MMedSc Institute for Public Health, Ministry of Health
  • Mohd Shaiful Azlan Kassim, MD Institute for Public Health, Ministry of Health
  • Chong Zhuo Lin, MD Institute for Public Health, Ministry of Health
  • Roslinda Abu Sapian, MSc Research Grant and Management Unit, National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health
  • Nurul Syarbani Eliana Musa, BSc Collaboration and Innovation Unit, National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health
  • Ridwan Sanaudi, BSc Sector for Biostatistics and Data Repository, National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health
  • Mohamed Paid Yusof, MD Petaling District Health Office, Ministry of Health Malaysia

Abstract

Introduction: The rapid spread of the COVID-19 worldwide has led the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare COVID-19 outbreak as a pandemic on March 11, 2020. This study aims to determine the factors associated with asymptomatic COVID-19 patients in Petaling District, Selangor, Malaysia.

Methods: Data on COVID-19 patients were extracted from the database of confirmed cases in Petaling District Health Office, Selangor, Malaysia from 3rd February 2020 to 30th April 2020. An asymptomatic laboratory-confirmed case is a person infected with COVID-19 who does not develop any symptoms. The study included socio-demographic variables, the detailed information on clinical manifestations and co-morbidity of the patients. Descriptive and multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine the factors associated with asymptomatic patients.

Results: The overall COVID-19 patients in Petaling District were 434. Approximately 70% (N = 292) of the patients were symptomatic while 32.7% (N = 142) were asymptomatic. Multivariable logistic regression analyses revealed that factors significantly associated with asymptomatic patients were age below 40 years old (aOR: 1.79, 95% CI 1.11, 2.86), non-Malaysians (aOR: 3.22, 95% CI 1.44, 7.19) and local cases (aOR: 2.51, 95% CI 1.42, 4.42). Gender, ethnicity, co-morbidity and township were not significantly associated with asymptomatic patients.

Conclusion: Approximately one-third of COVID-19 patients were asymptomatic and the risk factors identified were younger age, non-Malaysians and local cases. Rigorous epidemiological investigation and laboratory examinations are helpful in identifying COVID-19 cases among these group of people who are asymptomatic.

 Keywords: COVID-19 - asymptomatic - pandemic - Malaysia

Author Biographies

Lim Kuang Kuay, MSc, Institute for Public Health

Head

Center for Occupational Health Research

Ainul Nadziha Mohd Hanafiah, MD, Institute for Health Systems Research, National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health Malaysia.

Institute for Health Systems Research, National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health Malaysia. Bandar Setia Alam, 40170 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia.

Lee Soo Cheng, MD, Petaling District Health Office, Ministry of Health Malaysia,

Petaling District Health Office, Ministry of Health Malaysia, 47301, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia

Chan Ying Ying, MMedSc, Institute for Public Health, Ministry of Health

Institute for Public Health, National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health Malaysia.

 

Mohd Shaiful Azlan Kassim, MD, Institute for Public Health, Ministry of Health

Institute for Public Health, National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health Malaysia

Chong Zhuo Lin, MD, Institute for Public Health, Ministry of Health

Institute for Public Health, National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health Malaysia

Roslinda Abu Sapian, MSc, Research Grant and Management Unit, National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health

Research Grant and Management Unit, National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health, Malaysia

Nurul Syarbani Eliana Musa, BSc, Collaboration and Innovation Unit, National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health

Collaboration and Innovation Unit, National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health, Malaysia

Ridwan Sanaudi, BSc, Sector for Biostatistics and Data Repository, National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health

Sector for Biostatistics and Data Repository, National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health, Malaysia

Mohamed Paid Yusof, MD, Petaling District Health Office, Ministry of Health Malaysia

Petaling District Health Office, Ministry of Health Malaysia

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Published

2021-08-16

How to Cite

Kuay, L. K., Mohd Hanafiah, A. N., Cheng, L. S., Ying, C. Y., Azlan Kassim, M. S., Lin, C. Z., Abu Sapian, R., Eliana Musa, N. S., Sanaudi, R., & Yusof, M. P. (2021). Factors Associated with Asymptomatic COVID-19 Patients in Petaling District, Selangor, Malaysia. International Journal of Public Health Research, 11(2). Retrieved from https://spaj.ukm.my/ijphr/index.php/ijphr/article/view/317

Issue

Vol. 11 No. 2 (2021): International Journal of Public Health Research

Section

Public Health Research

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