Egypt sees 40.4% decline in COVID hospitalisation in February amid drop in daily infections

Ahram Online , Tuesday 1 Mar 2022

The rate of COVID-related hospital admissions across Egypt has declined by 40.4 percent between 11 and 25 February compared to the previous two weeks, acting Minister of Health Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar said during a weekly meeting with his assistants and health officials on Monday to follow up on the state’s efforts to face the pandemic.

File Photo: Members of a medical staff, wearing protective gear, intubating a patient in the isolated ward for the coronavirus (COVID-19) patient in the intensive care unit (ICU). AFP

The number of people who are self-isolating and people admitted to intensive care units and intermediate care units nationwide also decreased during the same period, said a statement by the ministry.

The minister also confirmed the availability of all coronavirus vaccines at fixed and mobile vaccination centres across the country for all age groups, the statement said.

During the meeting, Abdel-Ghaffar reviewed reports on vaccination rates nationwide, noting that the governorates of Beheira in northern Egypt and Sohag in Upper Egypt have the highest daily rates of vaccinated citizens.

Egypt's daily infections have dropped over the past week after a steep increase in cases since January, during which the country experienced its highest single-day rise in infections since the pandemic’s outbreak.

Egypt plans to vaccinate 70 percent of its eligible population —12-year-olds and above — by the second half of 2022.

More than 30 million people have been fully vaccinated to date, and almost 40 million have received their first dose, according to recent ministry statistics.

Moreover, over 1 million citizens have already received their booster shots.

While Egypt has received tens of millions of doses of all coronavirus vaccines, the country is locally producing the Chinese Sinovac vaccine through the state-run Egyptian Holding Company for Biological Products and Vaccines.

Abdel-Ghaffar will also announce on Tuesday the start of clinical trials for EgyVax, Egypt’s second locally made COVID-19 vaccine.

In February, the country said its first coronavirus vaccine COVI-VAX, whose clinical trials started in November, has shown promising results.

In addition, the World Health Organisation (WHO) announced in February that Egypt, along with five African countries, had been chosen to produce mRNA vaccines after receiving the technology from the WHO's global mRNA vaccine hub.

The process will include extracting the raw material needed to produce mRNA vaccines – like the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines – said Hossam Abdel-Ghaffar, the spokesman for the Ministry of Health and Population.

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