A professor of public health at the Zagazig University’s faculty of medicine warned the public in applying lax precautionary measures against the coronavirus, as it may lead to Egypt having a similar COVID-19 situation as hard-hit India.
Professor Abdellatif al-Murr confirmed that the Indian scenario may apply not only to Egypt, but to the whole world the proper measures are not taken.
Murr added that negligence in following the precautionary measures, being in crowded places, and not applying social distancing or wearing a mask will lead to grave consequences, explaining that India has reached this dreaded scenario due to its laxity in following precautionary measures.
Murr told Al-Watan newspaper that coronavirus has infected more than 150 million people worldwide. Its symptoms can vary, he said, but the most common continue to be shortness of breath and coughing, fever, stomach discomfort, diarrhea, and loss of smell and taste.
According to Murr, less common symptoms include redness of the eye and some mild skin symptoms such as the spread of red spots on the skin.
Waiting to get vaccinated and failure to apply precautionary measures, especially as Eid al-Fitr and the Easter holiday approach and bring their subsequent crowding and amid the possible presence of new strains, makes the situation more serious, Murr added.
Egypt’s third wave began just before the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan, which started on April 13.
Despite government officials urging the public to take care, case numbers have spiked and now rest at where they were during the height of Egypt’s second peak, with the Health Ministry reporting over 1,000 new cases per day.
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IMAGE: A child grimaces as a health worker takes a nasal swab sample for COVID- 19 testing through rapid antigen methodology, in New Delhi, India , Friday, Aug. 7, 2020.
