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Introduction: Future floods are expected to increase in frequency and intensity. Communities must arm themselves with information and skills to overcome these disasters and limit their impact. Moreover, the Coronavirus-19 infection doubled as the transmission was thought to occur when evacuation facilities were overrun and crowded. Despite government and agency assistance, the aftermath of a flood disaster leaves victims susceptible to the impacts. Resilience is essential when battling flooding or a pandemic. Thus, this study aims to determine the community disaster resilience score and its associated factors in Selangor flood-prone communities during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional quantitative survey will be conducted with a sample size of 574 residents living in flood-prone areas. A validated self-administered questionnaire will be distributed in liaison with community leaders using paper and online. The questionnaire includes respondents' demographic, flood disaster preparedness, general disaster preparedness belief, and community disaster resilience. The associations and predictors between the independent and dependent variables will be examined using bivariate analysis and multiple linear regression with a < 0.05 significance level. Discussion: Insights from this research will help communities better prepare for and recover from disasters. A more robust resilience approach requires focusing on predictors and recruiting those factors to assist health authorities in promoting flood disaster preparedness and resilience practices in the community. Researchers may comprehend the health behaviour of a community to build disaster preparedness and resilience as well as a health intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: COVID-19 has led to a significant increase in household waste generation, ranging from 10% to 30% in certain regions. Objective: This study aims to investigate the impact of knowledge and attitude on waste recycling practices in selected communities in Selangor during the post-pandemic period. Methods: A comprehensive waste analysis was conducted in six residential areas in urban Selangor, sampling waste from 25 households. A survey was administered to 244 respondents who had resided in the study area for at least one year and were familiar with the recycling programs and facilities. Data collection involved door-to-door surveys and online platforms. Results: The study revealed a weekly generation of 124.89 kg of solid waste, equivalent to 0.14 kg per person or 0.71 kg per household per day. Of this, 101.45 kg was recycled, resulting in an 81% recycling rate, averaging 0.11 kg per person or 0.58 kg per household per day. Paper accounted for the highest proportion of recycled waste (51%), followed by plastic (19%) and used items such as clothes (19%). Respondents displayed good knowledge (76.6%) and attitude (90.6%), but recycling practices were poor (61.9%). Significant associations were observed between knowledge and gender, attitude and factors such as age, race, monthly household income, and house type, and practice and factors such as residential location, gender, and the number of household members. Conclusion: Despite the pandemic, communities exhibited a high recycling rate, reflecting positive knowledge and attitude. However, bridging the knowledge-implementation gap is essential for improving recycling practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An increase in number of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases will lead to more cluster discovery in Malaysia. Furthermore, with the increasing population, city growth, workplace income needs, high-risk groups, and other relevant factors can contribute to the formation of the new clusters. The cluster distribution of the disease could be seen by mapping and spatial analysis to understand their spatial phenomena of the disease dynamics. The purpose of the study is to analyse the spatial distribution of COVID-19 cluster cases in Selangor for year 2020. Two objectives of the study are i) to determine the hotspot location of the COVID- 19 cluster, and ii)to examine the spatial distribution of the factors affecting the COVID-19 cluster. The data processing was conducted using hotspot analysis and ordinary least squares (OLS) in ArcGIS Pro and Microsoft Excel to explore the local disease phenomena. TheCOVID-19 cases was most prevalent in the Petaling district, followed by Hulu Langat and Klang. The virus had the least impact in Sabak Bernam, Hulu Selangor, Kuala Selangor, Sepang, Kuala Langat, and Gombak. Three environmental factors of population density, the effects of urbanisation, and workplace cases were influential variables at the local clusters. These findings could help the local agencies to facilitate and control the spread mode of the virus in a spatial human environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic first emerged in Malaysia in Jan 2020. As of 12th Sept 2021, 1,979,698 COVID-19 cases that occurred over three major epidemic waves were confirmed. The virus contributing to the three epidemic waves has not been well-studied. We sequenced the genome of 22 SARS-CoV-2 strains detected in Malaysia during the second and the ongoing third wave of the COVID-19 epidemic. Detailed phylogenetic and genetic variation analyses of the SARS-CoV-2 isolate genomes were performed using these newly determined sequences and all other available sequences. Results from the analyses suggested multiple independent introductions of SARS-CoV-2 into Malaysia. A new B.1.524(G) lineage with S-D614G mutation was detected in Sabah, East Malaysia and Selangor, Peninsular Malaysia on 7th October 2020 and 14th October 2020, respectively. This new B.1.524(G) group was not the direct descendant of any of the previously detected lineages. The new B.1.524(G) carried a set of genetic variations, including A701V (position variant frequency = 0.0007) in Spike protein and a novel G114T mutation at the 5'UTR. The biological importance of the specific mutations remained unknown. The sequential appearance of the mutations, however, suggests that the spread of the new B.1.524(G) lineages likely begun in Sabah and then spread to Selangor. The findings presented here support the importance of SARS-CoV-2 full genome sequencing as a tool to establish an epidemiological link between cases or clusters of COVID-19 worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The use of cosmetics is growing among both male and female consumers due to the availability of different brands. While there is an increase in the usage of cosmetic products, it is concerning whether the consumers are aware of the safety of the products. Aims: This study aimed to widely explore consumers' perceptions and attitudes toward cosmetics within the context of the COVID‐19 pandemic. Methods: A cross‐sectional study was carried out among adults in Selangor, Malaysia. Thirty‐three questions divided into three dimensions (socio‐demographic parameters, assessment of perception, and assessment of attitude) were developed and validated to be answered by cosmetics consumers. Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis was done using SPSS. Results: A response rate of 87% was achieved, and the mean age of participants was 33 ± 7.2. The overall perception of consumers indicates low levels of perception and moderate level of attitude toward cosmetic products. There was a positive correlation and high relationship between participants' perception and attitude (p = 0.001, r = 0.72). A significant association was observed between demographic data of respondents and their attitude and perception toward cosmetic products. Participants were unaware that sharing of cosmetic products could lead to bacterial infection and possibly increased the chance of contracting COVID‐19. Conclusion: This study displayed a nonchalant perception and attitude of Malaysian adults toward cosmetic products by focusing on aesthetics rather than health safety. Therefore, it is recommended to raise awareness on the composition and effects of cosmetic products, increase the practice of hygiene and dissuade the sharing of cosmetics to reduce transmissions of COVID‐19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective - The global spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has caused a negative impact on the global economy. Customers' purchasing habits are also shifting from traditional store visits to online store purchases. Millennials or Generation Y constitute a large proportion of consumers across the global digital space. Hence, the main objective of this study is to examine the purchase intention of millennials towards online fashion stores during COVID-19 pandemic. Methodologies/Technique - A set of self-administered questionnaires has been distributed to 230 respondents which age range from 20 years old to 40 years old in three states of Malaysia which are Johor, Melaka, and Selangor. The five independent variables which are fashion innovativeness, perceived security, perceived value, information quality and cost saving have been tested on their relationship towards the dependent variable which is purchasing intention towards online fashion. The collected data were keyed into SPSS version 25 and followed by using Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM 3.3.3) to assess the hypothesis. Findings - The research findings indicated that the key factors of fashion innovativeness, information quality and cost saving which have significant relationship towards the millennials' purchase intention from online fashion stores during COVID-19 pandemic. Novelty - To the authors' knowledge, this is the first methodological study which include the five independent variables to examine millennial's purchasing intention towards online fashion during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings of this research will help e-retailers of online fashion stores understand the factors that influence millennials' purchase intentions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]