The UAE has achieved various accomplishments in containing the spread of the COVID-19 virus as it ranked first globally in a wide range of indicators. Addressing the periodic media briefing on Thursday, Dr. Omar Al Hammadi, the official spokesman for the UAE Government, informed about the developments in the government's efforts to fight the pandemic crisis.

In the beginning, Al Hammadi noted that the UAE government has been ensuring that awareness about the pandemic and the efforts taken by the authorities to contain it reaches across the country. For this, media briefings have been transmitted and translated across television and radio channel in different languages including English, Hindi, Malabariya and others.

He noted that the UAE continues to be lead the world in terms of total COVID-19 tests conducted as compared to the population. The UAE ranked first in the world in terms of the number of tests conducted to detect COVID-19 disease during July-August 2020 in relation to the population. Al Hammadi asserted that it is a positive indicator reflecting the efforts and strong performance of the frontline workers across various sectors to address the pandemic in the UAE.

He briefed that the average number of daily tests conducted in the month of July was 47,857 - equivalent to 483.9 daily tests per 100,000 people - which is the highest in the world.

Furthermore, around 1,483,576 laboratory examinations were conducted in July at the state level to ensure the safety of the community. However, there was a 36 percent increase with 2,018,274 laboratory examinations performed in August. There has been a steady decline in the average daily number of infected cases between July and August. He further revealed that the UAE ranks eighth in the world among the nations which have registered the lowest number of positive cases as compared to the number of tests according to the COVID-19 data collected by the authorities.

Al Hammadi noted that these positive numbers speak about the increased awareness about the pandemic in the community and the commitment of the members to contain the spread of the virus. He went on to emphasize that the current phase requires maximum adherence to the preventive measures to preserve the achievement made so far, noting that cooperation and support of all segments of society, citizens and residents, is crucial to raise awareness.

While answering a few questions, he explained about the incubation period of the virus, stating that it is the time taken by the virus between entering the body and the moment it starts showing its symptoms. He notified that the incubation period for COVID-19 is 2-14 days, adding that during this period, it is recommended monitoring the pathological symptoms among those coming from travel or have had come in close contact with COVID-19 infected patients over the last two weeks, to ensure that the person is free from virus.

He added that virus symptoms start showing within 4-5 days of infection, but there are many patients who may not feel any symptoms during the first few days of infection and some may find out that they are infected with the virus during routine medical checks.

Al Hammadi also explained that the display of symptoms may be delayed in elder citizens and those suffering from chronic disease, urging for additional caution and extra care when dealing with these groups during COVID-19 diagnosis. At the same time, there are chances that a person is infected even without showing any symptoms, which indicates that the rate of infection is high among those suffering from symptoms and of the disease.

The UAE government spokesperson stressed the need for wearing face masks and covering during the silent incubation period of the virus even without symptoms in a bid to ensure that virus does not spread among the public.

Responding to the questions on the authorities' focus on social gatherings and parties and linking them to an increase in the number of new infections, Al Hammadi noted that the focus was not in particular on home or family gatherings. Rather, it applied to all gatherings and events, whether in homes, restaurants or shops, adding that it is necessary for every individual to follow precautionary norms. He highlighted that every person has an equal personal responsibility to help in preventing and reducing the spread of infection, whether at home or while going to public places such as restaurants and malls.

It is important for people to stay aware and follow COVID-19 precautionary norms such as maintain physical distancing, wear face masks and cooperate with the competent authorities by reporting violators.

In conclusion, Al Hammadi warned that there are some social habits that can contribute to an increase in the transmission of infection, including shaking hands, allowing home visits, and laxity in following preventive measures.