Malaysian State Fund Employee at Center of Coronavirus Cluster

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An employee at state investment fund Khazanah Nasional Bhd. in Kuala Lumpur is at the center of Malaysia's first coronavirus cluster.

The 52-year-old man had traveled to Shanghai in the middle of January, but only developed his symptoms in late February when he was confirmed to carry the virus. Meanwhile, the illness had spread from him to 16 people and then to five second-generation infections through a series of meetings, according to the health ministry.

Many of the new cases showed no symptoms and were only found as the government traced and tested those who have been in close contact with the man. The asymptomatic infection found in some people, who exhibited none of the usual signs of fever or cough, has posed a key challenge for authorities seeking to contain the virus.

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Khazanah is continuing operations with minimal disruptions and is working closely with health authorities, it said in a Sunday statement.

Malaysia has 50 cases of the coronavirus so far, of which 22 have been discharged from the hospital.

To contact the reporter on this story: Yantoultra Ngui in Kuala Lumpur at yngui@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Yudith Ho at yho35@bloomberg.net, Chan Tien Hin

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