The
UAE appears to have passed the tipping point of the Omicron era of pandemic, if
the recent decrease in Covid-19 cases is any indicator.
The
caseloads have fallen below 1,000 for the first time in eight weeks, which also
included a stretch of public holidays. Following 244,993 PCR tests, the
Ministry of Health and Prevention on Friday reported 998 additional positive
cases of Covid-19. The three-figure total is the lowest since 1,031 instances
were reported on June 9.
Frontline
medical professionals informed Khaleej Times that the trend observed in the UAE
follows a similar trajectory to that found globally. According to the WHO's
Covid-19 Weekly Epidemiological Update, between July 25 and July 31, there were
9% fewer cases worldwide than the previous week.
According
to Dr. Saheer Sainalabdeen, a pulmonologist at Medeor Hospital in Dubai, the
most recent spike in instances brought on by Omicron sub variations has been
rapidly reducing worldwide. The present phase is more pronounced than the
previous dip in the number of instances. Positive changes are occurring in the
UAE. The success of the Covid-19 immunization and screening methods can be
credited with this tendency. The number of new cases is expected to decline
further nationwide.
The
UAE, which is getting close to the one million case level, last registered a
three-digit number of infections on June 8 (867) and went on to record 1,031
the following day, 1,812 on July 3 before falling. Experts linked the sudden
rise in cases to the start of the summer travel season in June and the steady
decline over the previous several weeks to the success of vaccination
campaigns.
"There
was a surge in cases from mid-June to July, both locally and globally, which
may be related to the rise in travelers over the summer vacation period. The
preceding two years had seen a reduction in travel. People are traveling
internationally this year after the number of instances decreased, according to
pulmonology specialist Dr. Raiza Hameed KH.
Dr.
Wael Hafez, consultant in internal medicine at NMC Royal Hospital in Khalifa
City, Abu Dhabi, compared the Covid-19 numbers to those of June 2021, when
caseloads exceeded 2,000, and stated: "I think the cause of lesser
Covid-19 numbers than last year may be related to several reasons, such as
improved societal awareness and enhanced vaccination."
The
UAE announced on June 2 that 100% of the targeted categories had received
vaccinations.
There
has been a dramatic increase in the mortality toll, which has gone from only
three fatalities in May to over four times that number in June (11) and further
escalating in July, despite the fact that the number of new infections is down
(19). So far this month, two deaths have been documented, both of which were
disclosed on Friday.
Dr.
Hafez said that the fatality rate was "anticipated to be greater than at
the start of the year" when asked if Omicron's sub variations BA.4 and
BA.5, which are the most contagious yet, were the cause of deaths.
In
January and February of this year, South Africa reported the discovery of BA.4
and BA.5. According to the WHO, the weekly prevalence of the Omicron descendant
lineages BA.5 and BA.4 increased from 63.8 to 69.6 percent and from 10.9 to
11.8 percent, respectively, and remained dominant globally.
The
tendency is "worrisome as the mortality could be higher" with the two
new types, Dr. Hafez, who has published numerous research on Covid-19,
highlighted.
In
contrast to the original Omicron, which was typically linked with only an upper
respiratory illness, the BA.5 behavior is a little more severe and is typically
associated with lower chest infections like pneumonia.
Dr.
Hameed noted that the case fatality rate at the moment is low when compared to
the statistics from 2021.
"Complications
in persons with preexisting comorbidities are reported as the cause of
fatalities in COVID-19. The current Omicron variety is very contagious but less
deadly both locally and globally. The prevalence of Covid-19 vaccination has
grown, which has decreased case fatalities and the introduction of new viral
strains.”
The
WHO noted in its report that current trends in reported cases and deaths
worldwide should be interpreted with caution because several countries have
been gradually changing their Covid-19 testing strategies, which has led to
fewer tests being performed overall and, as a result, fewer cases being
discovered. However, Dr. Sainalabdeen emphasized that the UAE has continued its
screening program, assuring appropriate pandemic control.
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