Covid-19 Cases per Capita: The Hardest-Hit States in Malaysia

As at 31^st March 2020 (last day of MCO’s first phase), Selangor with 704 cases recorded the highest number of cases in Malaysia, followed by KL, Johor, Sabah and so on. Putrajaya, Perlis and Labuan were three states with cases below 30.

But when we look at the number of cases per capita, it tells a different story. Instead of Selangor, it is Putrajaya with 26 cases (as at 31^st March) which is then ranked as the hardest hit state together with Kuala Lumpur. With a population of 107,100, it gives a result of 24.3 cases per 100,000 people in Putrajaya. The third highest would be Negeri Sembilan with 16.0 cases per capita. Selangor, the state with the largest population, on the other hand, recorded a lower number – 10.7 cases per capita – on the list.

We compared the number of cases per capita (in 100,000) on 17^th March and 31^st March 2020 by state, as shown above. The date 17^th March was the day before MCO was implemented while 31^st March was the last day of the first phase of the MCO. This allowed us to compare the 14-day difference in total number of cases amongst each state. According to the study, Putrajaya had the highest jump in number of cases during this period, from 0.9 to 24.3 cases per 100,000 people.

We also did a comparison on number of Covid-19 cases per area (in km²) by state. With area of only 243 km² and 49 km², KL and Putrajaya, respectively again topped the list. As at 31^st March, for every 1 km², there were 1.8 cases in KL and 0.5 case in Putrajaya. The increase during this MCO period was 260% in KL and 2400% in Putrajaya!

Number of cases per capita or area at some point may indicate how well the state’s healthcare system could respond to the pandemic. Are they well-prepared if there is another coronavirus outbreak?

Italy's cases per capita was so high that it impacted severely its healthcare system. It was overwhelmed by lack of beds, medical resources, and staff for the stream of patients. Therefore, this data may be a warning sign to the authorities to take more precautions on certain areas or states in the country in future pandemics.

Reference:

1.     Statistics Covid-19 by State in Malaysia https://ukkdosm.github.io/

2.     Shayanne Gal and Aylin Woodward, One chart compares coronavirus cases per capita in the hardest-hit countries around the world www.businessinsider.com/