We’ve previously written an article titled “A Wake-Up Call For Everyone Working in the Medical Sector” in light of what happened in late March when the Egyptian Nursing Syndicate announced that it had 19 nurses with COVID-19 cases. This was not the first or last time hospitals and Egypt’s ‘White Army’ were threatened by COVID-19.
Yesterday, 17 staff members at the Al-Qasr Al-Aini Specialized Hospital tested positive for COVID-19; three of which are nurses and 14 are administrative workers, according to the Dean of Al-Qasr al-Aini Medicine Faculty Hala Salah al-Din.
According to Ahram Online, this news came a day after the hospital was turned into an ‘isolation hospital’ for university medical, teaching and administrative staff infected by the virus.
Regardless, the dean confirmed that these employees are all quarantined and are receiving the necessary treatment. The dean also explained that other medical teams in the hospital were not infected and that the 17 staff members were not in contact with any patients, as per Egypt Independent.
Egypt has been taking strict measures regarding the spread of COVID-19 when it comes to suspending educational institutions and a partial lock down. Yesterday, Egypt had 112 new cases making the country reach a total of 3,144. However, 1,001 cases who initially tested positive are negative, and 732 have recovered.
Egypt’s Doctors: At The Pandemic’s Front Line
The aforementioned article in Ahram Online also reported that multiple healthcare facilities in the country have had medical staff who tested positive. And unfortunately, this spreads a relative amount of fear to say the least.
On April 11, Daily News Egypt reported that after three doctors died of COVID-19 and 43 others had tested positive, that the Egyptian Medical Syndicate expects that “the number of infections amongst healthcare professionals is likely to be increasing.”
أعلنت @mohpegypt اليوم تسجيل ١١٢ حالة إيجابية جديدة مصابة بمرض كوفيد-١٩، بالإضافة إلى ١٥ حالة وفاة، ليصبح مجمل عدد الإصابات بمصر ٣١٤٤ حالة.
وارتفع عدد الحالات التي تحولت نتائجها معمليًا من إيجابية إلى سلبية ليصل إلى ١٠٠١ حالة، من بينهم ٧٣٢ حالة تماثلوا للشفاء وخرجوا من المستشفى.— WHO Egypt (@WHOEgypt) April 19, 2020
As is the case with other patients who test positive, they are generally isolated and the community around them is tested too. The article wrote that, “the syndicate has urged all concerned bodies to ensure that medical supplies at hospitals and medical installations are available to avoid the further spread of the coronavirus. It also asked that coronavirus swab tests on all medical professionals who have been in contact with positive cases be diligently undertaken.”
Amid COVID-19 response, Egypt’s Ministry of Health is on the alert.
As the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends, the syndicate also requests that all doctors wear masks and take precautions when working with patients who are being treated for COVID-19 and patients who are in hospitals for other reasons. For some, it will not be life threatening but if transferred to a patient with the aforementioned underlying health conditions, it could lead to a tragic end.
COVID-19 & The Global Impact
Countries around the world, including Egypt, have community service organizations, charity initiatives and corporate organizations, that are buying hygienic materials and necessary equipment for hospitals
Egypt’s medical staff are not alone in this situation because all countries are suffering from the same issue. Washington Post stated that, “dozens of health-care workers have fallen ill with COVID-19, and more are quarantined after exposure to the virus, an expected but worrisome development as the U.S. health system girds for an anticipated surge in infections.”
The WHO explained that the virus can be transmitted by direct contact with infected people and indirect contact with surfaces in the same environment or “or with objects used on the infected person (e.g., stethoscope or thermometer).” Inevitably, this makes medical staff at risk all the time.
Although at risk, the medical sector is doing its best in these stressful times.
