File Photo: An Egyptian doctor examines a chest X-ray at the infectious diseases unit at Imbaba Fever Hospital. AFP
“All surveillance methods have confirmed that the virus has not entered Egypt,” said Hossam Hosni, head of the Health Ministry’s Scientific Committee to Combat Coronavirus, in a televised interview on Al-Nahar TV Monday evening.
Hosni described the variant as highly contagious due to its ability to evade immunity from previous infections or vaccinations. “This variant has been able to develop itself and challenge the immunity acquired through previous infections or vaccinations,” he said.
While the symptoms resemble those of a severe cold—fever, body aches, weakness, sore throat, red eyes, and some gastrointestinal effects—Hosni stressed that cases linked to the variant are generally not fatal.
He noted that treatment continues to rely on standard medications. Antibiotics and antivirals are typically reserved for high-risk groups, including the elderly, immunocompromised individuals, and patients with chronic illnesses.
The variant has been linked to a summer resurgence of COVID-19 cases in several countries, including China and the United States.
In May, the WHO designated NB.1.8.1 as a “variant under monitoring” and assessed its additional public health risk as low.
COVID-19 caused significant disruption in Egypt in 2020 and 2021 before subsiding in 2022. The WHO ended its pandemic emergency designation in May 2023, shifting global focus toward managing COVID-19 alongside other respiratory viruses.
Egypt has recorded various coronavirus mutations in recent years, though few led to critical illness, according to health officials.
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