In a major development, the UAE is witnessing a significant decline in the number of COVID-19 infections. During a recent UAE government media briefing, Dr. Farida Al Hosani, Official Spokesperson of the UAE Health Sector, noted that this decrease in Coronavirus cases is a testament to the ongoing efforts of the authorities to comply with the precautionary measures and administer the COVID-19 vaccines to all members of the community.

She also presented the latest developments in the UAE's fight against COVID-19. In this regard, Dr. Al Hosani explained that over six million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered to people across the country, adding that approximately 3,614,070 people have received the vaccination till March 2. With this development, around 46.61 percent of the targeted population has been given the COVID-19 vaccine, out of whom, 61.41 percent of elderly people have received the vaccination.

She affirmed that the UAE authorities are carrying out intensive COVID-19 testing across the country to detect infections and curb the spread of the virus. As of now, more than 31 million COVID-19 tests have been conducted across the country. With this, the UAE is leading globally in terms of conducting Coronavirus tests relative to the size of the population. It has also been observed that UAE's infection rates compared to the total tests are among the lowest in the region and the world.

Dr. Al Hosani also asserted that research and development efforts by UAE authorities have shown that early intervention with laboratory and clinical tests have helped in providing the necessary medical treatment to patients in need. She had further urged all sections of society to head to their nearest health center to diagnose possible symptoms and inform relevant health authorities about any close contacts with COVID-19 patients.

Dr. Al Hosani has called on community members to not ignore any respiratory symptoms and take a test is required to receive the appropriate treatment and accelerate the recovery process. Studies have revealed that people aged 60 and above and those suffering from chronic diseases are more at risk of complications, hospitalization, and death due to COVID-19.

Certain procedures must be undertaken to protect high-risk groups, such as limiting direct contact, reducing visiting times, wearing face masks, and taking the COVID-19 vaccine, she said. The authorities have maintained that the COVID-19 vaccine is safe and efficient, particularly for this category of people to increase their immunity and reduce any complication to the disease.

For such groups, rapid medical interventions using tests and x-rays are also necessary even if the patients have only mild symptoms. In this regard, Dr. Al Hosani has stressed that patients suffering from any respiratory symptoms must immediately call 999 or head to the nearest health center for necessary treatment.

She noted that people in quarantine can step out to the nearest hospital in case of health emergencies and are not required to inform anyone. However, they are required to present a medical report clarifying their condition to prove that they have not violated any healthcare protocols.

Dr. Al Hosani also underlined that the COVID-19 vaccine cannot be a reason for a positive PCR test result and does not contain the active virus that causes the disease.

Speaking about the vaccine protection period, she maintained that it is difficult to determine the exact period of protection provided by the COVID-19 vaccine as its efficiency may differ from person to person.

She further responded to a question on not updating necessary information on the Al Hosn app after 28 days starting from the second vaccine dose or performing a PCR test for a period, not more than seven days, affirming the necessity of updating information on the application. She said that people who did not receive the letter "E" must contact the authorities at "8004676" or call the national call center (Weqaya) on "800937292" for technical support.

"The pandemic has many repercussions and has negatively affected the community through the spread of incorrect or false information, but the country has harnessed all its media resources to offer the public accurate information and facts," she added, urging people to comply with precautionary measures to protect the health and safety of all members of the community.

 WAM