2023-08-19 16:23:16
If the concerns of both sides are spreading rapidly in Lebanon, with the help of social networks on which alarming messages are shared, often en masse, the spread of Covid-19 in the country should not follow the same trajectory. Indeed, the relative increase in cases observed recently, and reflected in particular in the reports published by the Ministry of Health, must be considered normal for the summer season, according to the outgoing Minister of Health Firas Abiad and the Dean of the faculty of public health at La Sagesse Diala el-Khoury University, and the situation is “closely monitored” by the ministry.
The fears of the Lebanese have multiplied recently, in particular following the spread in several countries of a new variant, the EG.5 (Eris). However, the Ministry of Health had already assured Thursday that this variant had not yet been observed in Lebanon.
A seasonal increase
Recently, an increase in case reports has been noted in the country, as shown by the increase in the number of positive PCR tests recorded by the Ministry of Health on its reports published in particular on X (ex-Twitter). Thus, on June 12, 3.09% of the tests carried out and listed by the ministry were positive, against 12.3% in mid-August.
According to Minister Abiad, such an increase had already been observed in the summer of 2022. “If you look at the previous summer and the one before, you will see a similar increase,” he says. For Diala el-Khoury, this increase is explained by the summer season, during which people go out more in the evening, attend more social events and travel more. According to her, other countries, such as France, are experiencing similar increases.
Collective immunity
But this increase in reported cases should not be equated with the increases in cases recorded at the start of the pandemic. ”The current situation in Lebanon is very different from that of 2019-2020: immunity levels differ enormously from what they were before due to vaccines and previous infections (creating herd immunity and therefore, less infection and less intense symptoms editor’s note). Nevertheless, we remain vigilant and are watching developments carefully,” the minister continued.
“We are closely monitoring the numbers and the number of cases, the percentage of positive test results and the rate of patient admissions to hospitals in Lebanon,” he explained. “Genetic test results are also expected next week,” he added. These tests are intended to determine the variant contracted by the patient. “We are also monitoring the situation overseas and with the World Health Organization. In summary, there is intensive preparation and monitoring on the ministry side, and any updates will be made public on our site,” concluded Firas Abiad.
For the expert, “the Covid has become a disease with which we must coexist, just like the flu or the H1N1 virus”. In this context, she recalled the basic hygiene measures to be followed to avoid a too rapid spread of the virus. ”It is not necessary to remain isolated at home, but it is essential to wear a mask, wash your hands and not cough or sneeze in the direction of other people, while maintaining social distancing.
And so far, occupancy rates in hospitals are far from worrying, even if a nurse at Mont-Liban hospital, Rami Adada, warns of the risks of the mass emigration of health workers in the event of a new crisis. ”However, Lebanese hospitals are well equipped with all the necessary equipment,” he said.
New variant
On Thursday, the director of epidemiological monitoring at the Ministry of Health, Nada Ghosn, assured that the EG.5 (Eris) variant of Covid has not yet appeared in Lebanon according to laboratory tests.
The World Health Organization had stated on August 9 that “the available data do not suggest that EG.5 poses additional public health risks compared to other Omicron progeny lines currently in circulation”. However, according to the WHO, this mutation should be closely monitored, as additional mutations can make it more serious and more contagious.
The WHO said that as of August 8, Eris had been detected in more than 50 countries. Today, it is the most common and fastest growing variant in the United States.
While everyone’s concerns are spreading rapidly in Lebanon, with the help of social networks on which alarming messages are shared, often en masse, the spread of Covid-19 in the country should not follow the same trajectory. . Indeed, the relative increase in cases observed recently, and reflected in particular in the reports published by the Ministry of…
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