Higher COVID-19 deaths among men - Health DG

Almost 75 per cent of the COVID-19 deaths in Malaysia were men because more men than women attended activities outdoors, including the gathering in Seri Petaling, said Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

He said that as a group, men who attended the Seri Petaling assembly in February this year accounted for the highest number of deaths from COVID-19.

“More than 30 per cent of the COVID-19 deaths in Malaysia were from that assembly,” he told a daily media briefing on COVID-19 at the Health Ministry here today.

Dr Noor Hisham also said more than 50 per cent of those who died of COVID-19 were aged 60 and above, the high-risk group.

“More than 85 per cent (of COVID-19 cases) who died were patients with pre-existing conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure and the like,” he added.

Dr Noor Hisham said if those aged above 60 with a history of diseases were infected with COVID-19, their conditions would be more severe than those of patients without pre-existing health problems.

As at noon today, 82 deaths from COVID-19 have been reported in Malaysia.

The death toll is 1.64 per cent of the total number of 4,987 positive cases in Malaysia, out of which 2,478 cases or 49.7 per cent have recovered and been discharged from hospitals.