A health worker looks at a sample collected from a motorist at a drive-through testing site for Covid-19 at MSU Medical Centre in Shah Alam April 10, 2020. — Picture by Yusof Mat Isa

KUALA LUMPUR, April 15 — Health Director-General Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah today suggested there may three Covid-19 strains in the country, but was quick to point out that it is too early to confirm as this must first be examined by the Malaysian health authorities.

Dr Noor Hisham said that the novel coronavirus is new, and there are no reports or data available to help authorities in their research.

“This is a new virus so basically we do not have the data and reports of the new virus that we can refer to. Unlike other viruses that we already have the identification and report.

“So what we are doing at Institute of Medical Research is exploring the serology of the virus, it’s isolation while also looking at its genomics,” he explained during his daily press briefing

Dr Noor Hisham then added that there could be a possibility that Malaysia is currently seeing a different strain of the virus.

“Remember phase 1 of our first wave, basically 16 of our patients came from China ... so we know that probably this group was from the Wuhan group.

“Whether we are seeing a different strain of the virus it depends, as they say now in China probably it is strain B and they say in Asia is strain C and in US and Europe is strain A for example.

“But we do not know unless we culture our own virus with complete genome sequences ... we can do that and tag and identify the nature of our virus whether its type A,B or C.

“Maybe we have three strains in this country but we do not know until we do the isolation of the virus and tag the virus only then we can compare,” he explained.

Previously Dr Noor Hisham had said that the Institute of Medical Research was conducting research to explore the serology of the virus, its isolation while also looking at its genomics and mapping as part of a mission to assist the global community in coming up with a cure or vaccine.

Last month, Dr Noor Hisham said Malaysian health authorities are looking into Peking University’s claim that there are now two strains of the coronavirus.

He also said Malaysia is looking at the possibility of research collaboration with the Chinese team, among others to isolate the coronavirus and determine whether different strains of it has been behind the country’s relative success.