Women scientists of Arab countries have been leading the research domain ever since the pandemic began. Their remarkable works include establishing the link between obesity and Covid-19; determine how to reduce virus transmission; and design test kits for developing nations. Arab women have given way to groundbreaking studies on a consistent basis, thereby helping policymakers to come up with protocols and guide the public on staying safe amid pandemic.

Recently a webinar was organised by L’Oréal and UNESCO to highlight the significant contributions made by region’s eminent female scientists.

Dr Habiba AlSafar, Director of the Biotechnology Centre of Khalifa University explained that how a quarantine period of 7 to14 days can effectively slow down the infection spread. “After quarantine, if a person is Covid-positive, the transmission speed of the virus slows down drastically from what it was on day one. Chances of transmission are further reduced when the person takes precautions, such as wearing masks, avoiding crowded areas and maintaining a safe distance from others,” Dr AlSafar said.

She also explained how various factors like virus strain, environment and the lifestyle of an individual, can determine the spreading of infection. “Physically active people or those who have a healthy lifestyle recover faster from Covid as their body easily sheds off the viral load,” Dr AlSafar explained.

Obesity and Covid-19

Dr. Saba Al Heialy, Assistant Professor of Immunology at the Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences in Dubai explained the correlation between obesity and Covid-19. “Obese people are more prone to contracting Covid-19 with increased severity because they were found to have a much higher level of a receptor called ACE2 or angiotensin, which the Covid virus uses to enter the body,” Dr Al Heialy said.

“We also found through research on animal models that weight loss brings back balance to the immune system and can make you less likely to fall prey to Covid.”

90% women in a single research team

At King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre in Saudi Arabia, the experts who worked on Covid-19 testing were 90% women.

Dr Maha Al Mozaini, Infectious Disease scientist and educator at research centre, said, “Our effort was to establish in-house viral testing which we managed by the sheer dedication of our team... We worked day and night during the lockdown to understand this virus.”

She added, “We also designed certain test kits that could help poor or developing countries to test people without spending much on expensive kits.”