Global Health warns: new infections with corona mutations in 13 countries in the eastern Mediterranean

The World Health Organization of the United Nations has reported that 13 countries in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, which includes Arab countries, have reported cases of infection with at least one of the three new mutations of the Coronavirus that have been reported globally, including those that may have higher transmission rates..

Some of these new changes are linked to an increase in infection and could lead to higher infections and hospital admission rates. On his part, the Regional Director of the World Health Organization, Dr. Ahmed Al-Mandhary, to date, more than 6.3 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been given to people in 12 countries of the Region. But he indicated feeling anxious about these new mutations that might affect the response to vaccines.

He added: “Mutations can affect the response to vaccines, and we must prepare to adapt vaccines so that they remain effective. This situation highlights the need to vaccinate the largest possible number of individuals before they are exposed to new mutations of the virus.”

The World Health Organization expects the first supplies of vaccines against Covid-19, from the Kovacs facility (concerned with fair access to vaccines), to arrive in the occupied Palestinian territory and Tunisia in the coming weeks, and the remaining countries in the region will receive an estimated 46 to 56 million doses of AstraZeneca / Oxford from the Kovacs facility during the first half of this year.

And Dr. Al-Manzari says: “It is important that countries in the region continue to investigate these changes and inform the organization about them, so that we can coordinate efforts to monitor their effects and provide advice to countries on them accordingly.“.

Al-Manzoori pointed out that 14 countries in the region have genome sequencing capabilities, and some countries perform more sequencing of the virus than others at present, but the World Health Organization is helping countries that lack sequencing capabilities to identify new mutations and transfer samples to regional reference laboratories..

The World Health Organization indicated that, more than a year after the first case of Covid-19 disease, the situation remains critical in the Eastern Mediterranean region, as nearly 6 million people have contracted the disease, and about 140,000 people have died in the region, which is constantly suffering from The scourge of war, natural disasters and disease outbreaks.

The Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Region indicated that there is general stability in the number of cases, but given country statistics, several countries are still reporting worrying increases..

Dr. added. Al-Mandhari says: “Countries in the Gulf recorded new increases, and in Lebanon, intensive care units in some hospitals reached 100% of their capacity, which led to the treatment of patients in wards in other hospitals or in other empty places.“.

Vaccines represent a huge quantum leap in the response to the pandemic, but they alone are not sufficient, according to WHO officials. Dr. The theoretician calls for adherence to public health and social measures as a fundamental pillar in order to stop disease transmission, save lives and prevent overburdening of health systems that are already overburdened.

Dr. said. Al-Manzari: “These measures include disease surveillance, laboratory tests, isolation and treatment of all cases, quarantine, contact tracing, wearing masks, physical distancing, good hygiene practices and avoiding mass gatherings, all of which are still of the same importance today as they were at all times during the pandemic.”

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