The Head of Egypt’s Scientific Committee to Combat Coronavirus Hossam Hosny said on Tuesday that hearing loss is not a confirmed symptom of coronavirus.
During a phone interview on Ahmed Moussa’s TV show “Ala Massoulity” (By My Responsibility), Hosny said a cough and the loss of smell and taste are still closely-linked with the virus, denying that hearing loss had anything to do with the virus.
He did say, however, that infection with a respiratory virus in general can affect one’s hearing, therefore while virus does not cause hearing loss, a person with the virus might experience a change in their hearing.
Hosny also predicted a decrease in the number of coronavirus cases by mid-June. He instructed the public to adhere to all preventive and precautionary measures.
Hosny added that the death figures in Egypt are low, considering the country’s infection rate.
He said that Egypt is one of the strongest countries in scientific research, and was at the forefront of countries that participated in the trials of the Sinopharm vaccine, which has approval from the World Health Organization.
Encouraging folks to take the vaccine, he added that the Sinovac vaccine, which will soon be manufactured in Egypt, does not differ from Sinopharm. Hosny explained that the use of any vaccine will protect against severe cases and death from the virus.
He confirmed that the chance of getting blood clots from the AstraZeneca vaccine is five in one million worldwide, while the chance for clots in users of birth control pills is 16 per 100,000 and for smokers, one in every 1,000.
He denied that the ministry is monitoring any new strain of coronavirus, especially the Indian strain, saying that the true fear lies in public behavior during the holidays and again urging caution.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
