Egypt's health ministry said on Wednesday that it has detected 1,363 new coronavirus infections, bringing the total number of confirmed cases nationwide to 49,219 since the detection of the first case on 14 February.

According to the ministry's statement, the total number of COVID-19 deaths has now reached 1,850, after announcing 84 deaths today.

Health Minister Hala Zayed also said that 411 patients fully recovered and left isolation hospitals on Wednesday, which brings the total number of recoveries from the virus so far to 13,141.

The number of people whose test results have turned from positive to negative, including the full recoveries, has now reached 14,566.

Under Egypt’s recently-adopted treatment protocol, mild and moderate COVID-19 patients are treated at home or at university hostels so as to free up beds for critical cases at overwhelmed state-run isolation hospitals.

Late last month, the ministry made coronavirus drug kits, which include medications and preventive supplies, available for coronavirus patients being treated at home, and the people with whom they had come into contact.

Zayed said during a cabinet meeting on Wednesday that the total number of COVID-19 patients who have received coronavirus drug kits while being treated at home are 7,098 adults and 646 children.

The minister added that medical kits have been delivered to 57,122 adults and 18,366 children who had come in contact with people carrying the virus.

In a statement on Tuesday, Zayed stressed that people with chronic diseases, lung diseases and pregnant women are the most at risk from COVID-19.

She added that the gender ratio of coronavirus patients in Egypt is 55 percent male and 45 percent female, while 80 percent are aged between 30 to 60 years old.

The governorates with the highest number of cases are Cairo, Giza, Qalioubiya and Fayoum, while the lowest rates are in Marsa Matrouh, North Sinai, South Sinai, New Valley and the Red Sea, according to Zayed.

The minister's Tuesday statement added that Egypt is among the countries with the lowest coronavirus death rates, adding that those with chronic diseases have had the highest mortality rate.

The minister stated that 60 percent of the coronavirus fatalities in Egypt are in patients who are over 60 years old.

The first coronavirus fatality announced in Egypt was on 8 March. While it took the respiratory virus almost a month to reach 94 fatalities on 7 April, it took only 24 hours to announce 97 deaths, the highest single-day increase to date, last Monday.