M’sia Asked & S’pore Donated 5k Swabs to M’sia to Test for COVID-19

Singaporeans and Malaysians have disagreed about many things over the years – like who actually came up with Chicken Rice – but when there’s a crisis, we put our differences aside to help each other out.

That’s why I’m not going to bother getting into the debate over where Chicken Rice originated (because that question has already been answered and it’s Singapore), because, at such a time, it truly doesn’t matter (It’s Singapore, though).

All that matters is that when one needs some help, the other is more than willing to provide it.

M’sia Asked & S’pore Donated 5k Swabs to M’sia to Test for COVID-19

Singapore has donated much needed medical supplies to Malaysia to aid their fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.

5,000 Universal Transport Medium (UTM) swabs were handed over on 1 April by Singapore’s High Commissioner Vanu Gopala Menon to Malaysia’s Health Minister YB Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba, at the Malaysian Ministry of Health in Putrajaya.

Singapore’s High Commission in Kuala Lumpur and Consulate-General in Johor Bahru shared a post on Facebook detailing the donation and why these swabs are so vital during the coronavirus outbreak.

According to the post, Universal Transport Medium (UTM) swabs are a critical component in test kits, which can test for the virus within minutes.

The test involves pushing the swab – which resembles an extra-long cotton bud – deep inside the nose or throat, because these are the two areas where the virus is replicating.

Fun fact: Many who have been swabbed say the nose test is quite painful and uncomfortable. One described it as “being stabbed in the brain”.

But, it’s useful because it can “help our healthcare workers identify and treat patients early” the post read.

The post added that Malaysia had reached out to Singapore for “additional UTM swabs to help buffer its stocks.”

“In the spirit of cooperation and friendship between our countries and our peoples, the Singapore Government has offered to contribute 5,000 UTM swabs to Malaysia, and Malaysia has accepted.”

Here’s the full post:

The situation in both countries

While Malaysia has the highest number of reported cases in Southeast Asia, Singapore has also seen a concerning surge in infections lately, especially local cases.

Malaysia reported 142 new Covid-19 cases yesterday (1 Apr), bringing the total number of cases to 2,908.

Singapore, on the other hand, reported 74 new cases yesterday, with 54 locally transmitted cases. Singapore has a total of 1,000 infections now.

45 people have died from the disease in Malaysia, while 4 have died in Singapore.

In troubling times like this, it’s vital to have allies whom you can lean on for support.