New coronavirus drugs THE CORONAVIRUS treatment protocol has been updated in accordance with international standards by adding new drugs that have proven effective, according to Health Ministry officials. Preventive treatment for black fungus will be added to the protocol. A few cases of black fungus, a serious fungal infection, generally in people with less ability to fight infection, and linked to the treatment for Covid-19, have recently appeared in Egypt among Covid-19 patients due to the use of high doses of antibiotics and cortisone which weaken a person's immunity. The Health Ministry stressed that cases of black fungus discovered in Egypt are rare, adding that the disease is non-infectious. The ministry has allocated specific medical centres to treat black fungus patients, some of whom have already recovered. Antiviral drugs against black fungus are available. Those most susceptible to infection are patients whose immunity is weak and have diabetes, cancer, and kidney problems. Also affected are coronavirus patients receiving high doses of cortisone or antibiotic therapy for long periods without medical supervision. With the Health Ministry reporting over 1,000 new Covid-19 cases every day, Egypt intends to vaccinate 50 per cent of its citizens by the end of the year. The number of Egyptians registered to receive vaccines has been increasing, with the daily registration rate reaching 300,000. The total number of people who have been registered to get shots is estimated at 5.2 million. A total of 403 centres have opened nationwide to provide vaccines. Health Ministry officials noted that in addition to the Chinese Sinopharm and the UK AstraZeneca vaccines already available, Egypt will receive 20 million doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine and 20 million doses of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine before the end of 2021. Egypt also took official steps to locally produce the Sinovac vaccine. In a related context, the cabinet announced on Sunday its adherence to all precautionary measures taken to slow down the spread of Covid-19, while allowing restaurants, cafés, shops, and malls to return to summer working hours (from 7am to 11pm) starting 1 June. Since early May, all such facilities were ordered to close at 9pm. Any facility violating the stated working hours will be closed for two weeks and, if the violation is repeated, the closure will last for one month.
Grand health scheme EGYPT plans to establish the biggest medical complex in Suez governorate at a cost of LE3 billion, the health insurance system authority announced in a statement on Sunday. The complex, a world-class facility in terms of quality, will offer medical services to beneficiaries from the comprehensive health insurance system in Suez. This comes as part of the first phase of a comprehensive healthcare plan scheduled to cover all governorates by 2027. Governorates with the lowest-income citizens have been given priority in the schedule, with Cairo coming in the sixth and final phase. The first phase kicked off in July 2019 in Port Said and extended early this year to Ismailia, South Sinai, Luxor, and Aswan. The Suez medical complex offers "distinguished health services" to Canal residents in general and Suez residents in particular, the statement said. The complex includes all medical departments, in addition to three specialised medical centres for cardiology, nephrology, and ophthalmology. Together with the Suez medical complex, the health insurance system authority revealed plans to set up other health institutions in the governorate. Twenty-nine health units and four hospitals that will meet the highest quality standards are to be established, the statement said.
Harasser arrested SECURITY forces arrested a Brazilian tourist for posting a video on his Instagram account showing him verbally harassing a female hotel worker. The man was arrested as he was attempting to leave Egypt. The Interior Ministry said on Sunday evening that Victor Sorrentino, who was visiting Luxor, had been referred to the prosecution. Sorrentino, a plastic surgeon and social media influencer in Brazil, appeared in the video verbally harassing a female sales employee at a hotel bazaar. The victim, who does not understand Portuguese, Brazil's native language, was smiling in the video while showing him papyrus items. The video went viral within 48 hours on social media in both Egypt and Brazil. Angry calls for Sorrentino's arrest appeared under the Arabic hashtag #hold-accountable-the-brazilian-harasser, which trended in Egypt for several hours on Twitter. Sorrentino removed the video and uploaded another, showing him apologising to the employee, again in Portuguese. Social media users insisted that no apology should be accepted, adding that Sorrentino should be held accountable for the incident.
*A version of this article appears in print in the 3 June, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
