People say time heals all.

Unfortunately, time doesn't work on COVID-19, as the pandemic situation in the country is still pretty dire.

Red zones everywhere

Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah has revealed that almost all states in Malaysia have recorded a high infectivity rate, or R-naught (Rt), of over 1.0 as of Saturday (1 August), New Straits Times reported.

According to Dr Noor Hisham, 14 out of 16 states in Malaysia recorded high Rt, with Perlis, despite having the least COVID-19 cases in the country, topping the chart at 1.47.

This was followed by Terengganu with an Rt of 1.42, Kelantan (1.27), Sabah, Kedah and Perak (1.21), Putrajaya (1.20), Penang (1.18), Johor (1.17), Pahang (1.15), Kuala Lumpur (1.10), Selangor (1.08) and Sarawak and Melaka (1.05).

The two states that recorded the lowest Rt were Negri Sembilan (0.90) and Labuan (0.70).

Overall, the infectivity rate in the country is at 1.10, Dr Noor Hisham said.

What is R-naught?

R0, pronounced as R-naught, is a value used to indicate how infectious a disease is.

According to healthline.com, the R0 is also known as the reproduction number.

"R0 tells you the average number of people who will contract a contagious disease from one person with that disease.

"It specifically applies to a population of people who were previously free of infection and haven’t been vaccinated.

"For example, if a disease has an R0 of 18, a person who has the disease will transmit it to an average of 18 other people," the website states.

Meanwhile, Ministry of Health (MOH) states that the higher the R0 value, the more people will get infected.

MOH goes on to say that the R0 value can also indicate if measures taken, including preventive measures, are effective or not.