Malaysia’s Covid-19 cases hit a new high with 21,668 cases as of noon yesterday. Of the total, 2.1 percent were in Categories 3, 4, and 5. The other 97.9 percent were in Categories 1 and 2.

Category 1 and 2 patients suffer milder symptoms, Category 3 patients develop some form of pneumonia but can still breathe on their own, those in Category 4 need oxygen supply, while Category 5 patients need a ventilator to breathe.

Health Ministry director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah (above) said on Facebook yesterday that while some cases remain in the same category throughout the period of infection, other patients may see their condition improve or deteriorate over time.

He also gave a breakdown of the categories. Of the 21,668 cases reported yesterday:

• 192 (0.9 percent) were in Category 5
• 84 (0.4 percent) in Category 4
• 164 (0.8 percent) in Category 3
• 11,059 (51 percent) in Category 2
• 10,169 (46.9 percent) in Category 1

He said this is based on the current clinical condition of the newly diagnosed Covid-19 cases. Hence, the numbers do not include the over 200,000 active Covid patients currently in the country.

As of yesterday, another 318 fatalities due to Covid-19 were recorded, bringing the cumulative death toll to 11,691 (0.87 percent of total cases).

The daily breakdown of...