Rise in COVID infections in Egypt due to disregarding precautionary measures: Official

CAIRO – 27 January 2022: The Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population revealed the reasons for the surge in the number of daily infections with Coronavirus to more than 45 percent of the infections.

The ministry said that most of the infections are due to the new Omicron mutant, and that infections with Delta mutant come in the second place.

Hossam Hosny, head of the Scientific Committee to Combat Corona at the Ministry of Health and Population, confirmed that the daily increase in infections was due to failure to abide by the precautionary measures and the recklessness of citizens to wear masks and maintain hygiene related to the hands.

He added that 80 percent of the infections varied between mild and moderate, and that infections with Omicron do not result in risk.

Hosny explained that there is a significant decline in hospital admission rates, and occupancy rates have reached 40 percent, while internal reservation rates have decreased by 60 percent.

He continued that the rate of spread of Omicron mutant is very fast, as a person can infect 10 to 12 other people even if he does not show symptoms, especially in closed places, which led to the wide spread.

“The increase in infection rates in Egypt after the temporary decrease in numbers is considered regressive waves as a result of the Omicron mutant itself and its rate of spread worldwide,” he said, explaining that due to the cold weather, there is an overlap between symptoms of influenza and that of COVID to the extent that people do not know whether they suffer from mutant omicron or from influenza.

Hossam Abdel Ghaffar, a spokesman for the Ministry of Health, said that Egypt is witnessing a rise in Corona infections during the last period, and he appealed to citizens to get vaccinated, and adhere to precautionary measures.

Regarding the infection of children, the spokesman for the Ministry of Health said, “Corona affects all age groups, but as usual for previous waves, the severity of infection with young age groups is lower,” stressing that the PCR analysis reveals the extent of infection with the Omicron mutant.

He pointed out that the symptoms of the Omicron mutant are less severe than the Delta, but in the absence of vaccination, the case may require hospitalization, explaining that the common Omicron symptoms are headache, cold, difficulty swallowing, throat pain and fatigue, while the less common symptoms are high temperature, and the loss of the sense of smell and taste is rare among cases.

“Those who have symptoms of a cold are treated as if they are infected with Corona in home isolation, good nutrition and taking vitamins, and exit from isolation after 5 days, provided that a mask is worn,” he added.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Health stressed social distancing, good nutrition, exercise and wearing a mask to prevent corona, expecting the current wave to continue for 4 or 5 weeks.

The Ministry of Health and Population continues to raise its preparations in all governorates of the Republic, follow up on the situation first-hand regarding the “emerging corona virus”, and take all necessary preventive measures against any viruses or infectious diseases, and the ministry has allocated a number of means of communication to receive citizens’ inquiries about the emerging corona virus and infectious diseases. Including the hotline “105”, “15335” and the WhatsApp number “01553105105”, in addition to the “Health Egypt” application available on phones.