The head of the Scientific Committee to Combat Coronavirus at the Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population Hossam Hosni announced Tuesday that there will be a fifth dose of the coronavirus vaccine if infections continue to increase.
This, he assured, means that the pandemic has yet to become seasonal.
Medicines for the therapeutic protocol for coronavirus and its variants are available in all hospitals and are dispensed for free, he added.
“The therapeutic protocol will be updated in its seventh version within hours, and new drugs will be added,” he said.
“There is a new mutant from Omicron that has led to an increase in the number of infections, called B4-B5.”
Hosni also clarified a common misconception that the coronavirus and the Omicron strain are distinct, explaining that Omicron is still the coronavirus.
“The new Omicron mutant B4-B5 is characterized by an increase in proliferation and reproduction, but on the other hand, it attacks the upper respiratory tract, and attacks the lungs only at a very slow rate,” he added.
Egypt is witnessing increase in coronavirus infections due to Omicron variant, with Egyptians largely are not adhering to precautionary measures, nor using facemasks.
The Health and Population Ministry renewed its call for all citizens to adhere to precautionary measures, wear facemasks in closed and crowded places, and ensure they receive vaccinations and booster doses to protect themselves and others.
