WHO official says to look at reason behind Egypt’s high coronavirus death rate

A World Health Organisation official said on Monday the organisation is looking at the reason behind the “high rate” of deaths from the coronavirus in Egypt which currently stands at 7.6 percent.
“This percentage is under study in coordination with the health ministry so we can identify the reason behind the high death rate in Egypt,” WHO representative in Egypt John Jabbour told a televised press briefing.
Jabbour said around 30 percent of patients of the respiratory illness in Egypt died before being sent to isolation hospitals or receiving medical treatment. However, some 85 percent of the patients have recovered without receiving medical treatment as they displayed “very mild” symptoms, he added.
Medical staff make up around 13 percent of the confirmed coronavirus infections in the North African country, Jabbour said.
“Those on the frontline are the most vulnerable to infection,” he added, while calling on medical staff to curb their movement between hospitals.
The WHO official warned that crowded street markets was increasing the risk of virus transmission, urging people to avoid large gatherings and comply with the country’s strict preventative measures.
Jabbour hailed efforts by the Egyptian health ministry in monitoring the respiratory disease through what he described as a comprehensive disease surveillance system.
To date, Egypt has so far reported 2190 confirmed coronavirus cases, with 164 deaths.