Egyptian state works on avoiding increase in coronavirus cases: presidential advisor

CAIRO – 8 May 2020: The number of coronavirus cases in Egypt is high but does not constitute a high risk as the curve grows “horizontally,” said Mohamed Tag El-Deen, the president’s advisor to the health affairs, meaning that the number increases gradually.

In an interview with Tamer Ameen on Al-Nahar channel, he affirmed that the state is taking all procedures to prevent the daily number of cases from increasing.

However, he said Egypt is still facing a critical period due to the growing number of cases.

Separately, in an interview with Sherif Amer on MBC Masr, Tag El-Deen said that citizens can still coexist with the novel virus and that normal life and production can be restored as long as people are following the preventive measures, otherwise, the state may have to take tougher measures.

He expected that the number of cases will also increase during the coming period, but will remain under control as long as it is increasing horizontally.

Concerning vaccine, he said it is not expected that a vaccine will be developed before September. He also noted that the plasma treatment can help patients to recover.

Egypt's PM: Measures against coronavirus to continue for extra 15 days

CAIRO - 7 May 2020: Egypt's Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli on Thursday said the preventive measures taken to face the coronavirus crisis during the first half of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan will continue for the rest of the month.

This comes while 393 people in Egypt tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) recently, making the highest daily counts in Egypt so far, and 13 people died with the novel virus, the Health Ministry said on Thursday.

This brings the total number of reported cases and deaths to 7,981 and 482 respectively, the ministry said.

The test results of 2,378 people of the reported cases turned from positive to negative, including 1,887 people who fully recovered.

Also, 72 cases, all of them Egyptians, left hospital after they recovered, according to the instructions of the World Health Organization (WHO).

The ministry revealed that the total number of positive patients at the quarantine hospitals is 1,890, including 211 unstable cases and 41 critical cases.

Plasma treatment

The Egyptian Health Ministry will start injecting plasma of patients who have recovered from the deadly coronavirus (COVID-19) into severely ill patients with the novel virus, the ministry quoted Minister Hala Zayed as saying late in April.

Plasma from recovered cases have the antibodies required to battle the virus inside other patients and curb its replication.

Zayed said that Egypt has the required experience in the convalescent plasma therapy and that the ministry is working hard through scientific research to find treatment for coronavirus patients.

Plasma were extracted from six people who have recovered from coronavirus, the ministry’s statement revealed, and tests indicated that three of them were good to use.

Plasma was already injected into one patient, the ministry said, adding that other patients will also undergo the same treatment, in accordance with the research protocol in this regard. The results will be continuously announced, said the statement.

Once patients respond to treatment, convalescent plasma therapy will be widely applied, through inviting recovered people to donate plasma, in order to help save patients who are in critical condition, the ministry added.