COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered strain of coronavirus, a type of virus known to cause respiratory infections in humans. This new strain was unknown before December 2019, when an outbreak of a pneumonia of unidentified cause emerged in Wuhan, China.

The first case of COVID-19 in Malaysia was detected on 24 January 2020. The WHO Country Office in Malaysia has been working closely with the Ministry of Health to respond to this outbreak. Collaboration includes:

Maintaining and enhancing infection prevention and control.
Procuring critical laboratory and medical supplies.
Testing methods and external laboratory quality assurance.
Surveillance, risk assessment, modelling and projections.
Communicating and engaging with the public on how to protect themselves and others, including the catered messages to the general public and vulnerable populations that are at high risk.