No confirmed cases in Egypt caught coronavirus twice: health official

CAIRO – 4 May 2020: The Egyptian Health Ministry did not confirm any case that caught coronavirus (COVID-19) twice, an official at the ministry told Egypt Today, affirming that all recoveries left hospital and have never come back for treatment.

The health condition of all recovered cases has been traced and assessed after they left quarantine, the official noted.

Separately, the ministry called on citizens to follow the preventive procedures to fight the novel pandemic, including wearing face masks in public transportation means, hotels, restaurants as well as other public places and maintaining social distancing while dealing with older people, pregnant women and people with chronic diseases.

Health Minister Hala Zayed in March warned against visiting the older people or pregnant women, considering them at a higher risk of complications in the event of contracting the deadly virus.

However, no reported deaths of pregnant women have been so far reported. Many experts also affirmed that there is no evidence that pregnant women are at an increased risk of miscarriage or developing severe symptoms. Also, no evidence shows that they can transmit the disease to their unborn children, although some reports suggest that this can happen.

Pics: 2 babies born to mothers with coronavirus in Egypt

CAIRO - 13 April 2020: Prime Minister's Media Advisor Hany Younes posted photos for two newborn babies, saying that two women in Egypt infected with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) gave birth successfully at dawn.

Egypt recorded, Sunday 272 new coronavirus cases and 14 deaths, which raises the total infected patients of COVID-19 to 6465 and the total deaths to 429 according to Health Minister’s daily briefing.

Health Ministry Spokesman Khaled Megahed added that 40 patients, were discharged from the hospital after being confirmed that they are completely recovered from the viruses, this also raises the number of recovered cases to 1,562 out of 2,041 who had been retested for the virus and had received negative results.

’Coexistence’ plan

Late, in April, the health minister reviewed the ministry’s plan to fulfill the state’s strategy based on coexistence with the novel virus in the coming period, as the end of the crisis is not yet in sight.

In a meeting with Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli via video conferencing, the minister noted that the plan is based on following all necessary in various facilities and reassessing the epidemiological situation every 14 days. She affirmed the need for state institutions to set immediate penalties for violators of these measures.

Companies, malls, markets and transportation means will be included in the plan, Zayed said, while affirming that some places that pose a high risk of infection must remain closed. Services in these places should be reached via electronic ways as much as possible, she added.

The minister also referred to some additional public safety procedures in case institutions were opened, including checking the temperature of those entering them, allocating a room inside each institution to isolate any coronavirus suspected cases.

The plan also recommends reducing workers per shift, keeping institutions well-ventilated and reducing the use of air-conditioners whenever possible.