Demand in Egypt for medicine, vitamins and preventive supplies against the coronavirus fell in July as the country’s infection rate declined nationwide, said the head of Egypt’s Chamber of Medicine Industry Ahmed al-Ezaby.
Demand for vitamins and antibiotics fell by more than 50 percent, he explained, while demand for gloves and masks fell by 30 percent and demand for thermometers decreased 70 percent.
The prices for raw pharmaceutical materials utilized for manufacturing coronavirus medication declined globally, he noted, in line with falling global demand after prices had grown by over 100 percent at the height of the pandemic.
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi assigned the government to take quick steps towards establishing the first factory for blood products, he added.
On Saturday, Egypt’s Ministry of Health and Population confirmed 21 new deaths, raising the nation’s total number of coronavirus deaths to 4,992.
Approximately 164 new coronavirus cases were confirmed, bringing the country’s total to 95,314.
The total number of fully-recovered cases rose to 51,627, all of whom have been discharged from isolation hospitals, with 1,119 discharged on Saturday.
In a first, the Minya Governorate had recorded no new coronavirus infections according to a statement released by Minya’s Directorate of Health on August 5.
The directorate has allowed recovered patients to return to their jobs.
Infections in the governorate dropped from earlier levels, ranging between two to five cases in each isolation hospital, allowing the hospitals to resume normal health care activities.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
