Prof. Alawi Sheikh Ali, Deputy Director of the Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences for Academic Affairs said that the strategy followed by the UAE in facing the  Covid-19 pandemic , was based on the promotion and construction of a national program of early examination and diagnosis of the disease, a follow up with the patients ,Investigation and tracking of their contacts and application of  quarantine according to medical guidelines.

Dr.Alwi said - during a lecture organized by the UAE Center for Strategic Studies and Research, done remotely today, entitled "Scientific evidence and decision-making in the face of Covid - 19" - that the UAE has benefited from best practices and local, regional and international standards in combating the pandemic, then relying on Scientific evidence data for decision-making.

He pointed out that the average number of daily examinations in the UAE amounted to nearly 50 thousand examinations, in addition to achieving a significant increase in the number of recovery cases, thanks to diagnostic, preventive and curative efforts, pointing out that the death rate in the country was 0.6%, according to the latest local statistics, what rank UAE in  the lowest world's mortality index.

The lecturer spoke about the current predictions about the possibility of a second wave,explaining that all of these assumptions are hypothetical based on completely unconfirmed data, and that the most important thing is to prepare for all upcoming possibilities and adhere to the lessons learned in combating this epidemic and taking  precautionary and preventive measures, noting That there are over 140 clinical studies in place around the world to develop a vaccine against the virus; More than 20 of them are already in advanced clinical trials.

At the end of the lecture, Dr.Alwi Sheikh spoke about all the things that this pandemic taught us ,  locally and internationally, and how to use it to be prepared for any expected future challenges, stressing the importance of strengthening the scientific research system in the UAE, and focusing on data accuracy, especially In the health sector ,he also insisted on the importance of strengthening coordination between the competent authorities, governmental and private, in order to assure the state's ability to confront the epidemic with a clear methodology and a flexible mechanism.

WAM