Egypt reports 548 new coronavirus cases, 25 deaths

CAIRO – 17 December 2020: The Health Ministry reported in a statement that 548 new coronavirus cases were detected in Egypt over Thursday, upping the total number of confirmed cases to 123,701.

Spokesman for the Health Ministry Khaled Megahed said 25 patients have died from the virus over the past 24 hours, raising the death toll to 7,015.

As many as 200 patients were discharged from isolation hospitals after receiving necessary medical care, taking the number of recovered cases to 105,919 so far, the spokesman said.

1st vaccine batch

The Health Ministry on December 10 said the first batch of a coronavirus vaccine developed by China’s Sinopharm arrived at the Cairo International Airport, coming from the UAE.

The Chinese vaccine, which had been involved in clinical trials in Egypt over the past few months, has shown 86 percent efficacy against coronavirus, Health Ministry spokesman Khaled Megahed said.

It has shown 99 percent efficacy in producing antibodies to the novel virus and 100 percent efficacy in preventing cases from showing moderate or severe symptoms, he added.

The priority will be given to the medical staff, especially those working in isolation hospitals, as well as chest and fevers hospitals.

Also, cancer patients and patients suffering from kidney failure will be prioritized, Megahed added.

The vaccine is injected in the upper arm. It consists of two shots, 21 days apart.

Health Minister Hala Zayed and Chinese Ambassador to Egypt Liao Liqiang have supervised the reception of the first batch at the airport.