CAIRO, Apr 7 (NNN-MENA) – As confirmed COVID-19 cases in Egypt exceeded 1,000, it would be more difficult for the medical authorities to control the spread of the lethal virus, Egyptian experts warned.
Egypt, a country with a population of 100 million, has so far confirmed 1,173 COVID-19 cases, including 78 deaths and 247 recoveries.
Health Minister, Hala Zayed, repeatedly warned that Egypt would reach the third stage of the epidemic, if the number of cases reached 1,000.
Zayed said, surpassing 1,000 infections would make it difficult for medical teams to monitor contacts with confirmed cases, thus posing bigger risks.
The Health Ministry identified three stages of the virus outbreak: the pre-epidemic stage, the spread stage, and the community transmission stage, which means the authorities’ inability to detect the source of the virus or to track its spread.
“Despite the difficulties and dangers the number poses, it is not necessary to move to the third stage or impose an all-out curfew,” said Hani al-Nazer, former chief of the National Research Centre, adding, the government is still able to detect and track cases successfully.
Egypt started, on Mar 25, a two-week nighttime curfew, as a key part of the country’s precautionary measures to curb the spread of the virus.
Egypt also suspended schools, universities and all classes, halted flights, closed entertainment places, stopped mass prayers in mosques and churches, and shut down museums and archaeological sites.
“The climb of the virus infections is moderate. We need to work to maintain this rate for the longest possible period,” al-Nazer noted.
He expected that the rise in temperature in the coming period will help reduce the spread of the virus, which will subsequently help the medical authorities to control it.
Praising Egypt’s “significant work” done against the virus, the World Health Organisation highlighted the North African country’s capacity to conduct up to 200,000 tests, saying, it will work with Egypt’s health authorities to enhance the isolation, quarantine and referral mechanisms, and scale up infection prevention and control practices to ensure that patients and health workers are protected.
Ashraf Oqba, professor of immunology at Ain Shams University, said, Egypt is at the beginning of the third stage or the community transmission phase, after recording more than 1,000 infections.
“People have a role to play in helping the government contain the virus … They can stay at home and follow instructions of the government when they are out,” he said, expecting the government to take stricter measures.– NNN-MENA
