At least 15 medics in Egypt’s main cancer hospital have been quarantined after testing positive for the coronavirus, officials said Saturday, raising fears the pandemic could prey on health facilities in the Arab world's most populous country.
Egypt has reported around 1,000 confirmed cases and 66 fatalities from the global pandemic. Authorities have closed schools and mosques, banned public gatherings and imposed a nighttime curfew to prevent the virus from spreading among the population of 100 million, a fifth of whom live in the densely-populated capital, Cairo.
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At least 15 medics in Egypt’s main cancer hospital have been quarantined after testing positive for the coronavirus, officials said Saturday, raising fears the pandemic could prey on health facilities in the Arab world's most populous country.
The institute will be partly closed for three days to be sterilized, with only the emergency ward remaining open.
Egypt's Health Ministry reported a spike in cases on Friday, with 120 new infections and eight fatalities, its highest one-day tally since the first case was reported in February.
The Ministry of Antiquities lights up the Giza pyramids in an expression of support for health workers battling the coronavirus, in Giza, Egypt, Monday, March 30, 2020. The Egyptian government extended the closure of the country's famed museums and archaeological sites, including the Pyramids and the Sphinx at Giza, until at least April 15. (AP PhotoNariman El-Mofty)
A puppy sits near the pyramids before the Ministry of Antiquities lights up the Giza Pyramids in an expression of support for health workers battling the coronavirus, in Giza, Egypt, Monday, March 30, 2020. The Egyptian government extended the closure of the country's famed museums and archaeological sites, including the Pyramids and the Sphinx at Giza, until at least April 15. (AP PhotoNariman El-Mofty)
The Ministry of antiquities lights up the pyramids in an expression of support for health workers battling the coronavirus outbreak, Monday, March 30, 2020, in Giza, Egypt. (AP PhotoNariman El-Mofty)
Dr. Hatem Abu el-Kassem, the director of the National Cancer Institute, said three doctors and 12 nurses tested positive for the virus. He said all other health workers at the facility, which treats hundreds of cancer patients every day, would be tested.
Egyptian security forces cordon off roads during curfew hours as prevention measures due to the coronavirus outbreak, in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, March 29, 2020. For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. (AP PhotoNariman El-Mofty)
The institute will be partly closed for three days to be sterilized, with only the emergency ward remaining open.
The virus causes mild to moderate symptoms in most patients, who recover within a few weeks. But it is highly contagious and can cause severe illness or death, particularly in older patients or those with underlying health problems, including cancer patients.
More than a million people have been infected worldwide and more than 50,000 have died from the COVID-19 illness caused by the virus. More than 200,000 have recovered, according to data gathered by Johns Hopkins University.
Egyptian security forces cordon off roads during curfew hours as prevention measures due to the coronavirus outbreak, in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, March 29, 2020. For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. (AP PhotoNariman El-Mofty)
Egypt's Health Ministry reported a spike in cases on Friday, with 120 new infections and eight fatalities, its highest one-day tally since the first case was reported in February.
The government has not yet imposed the kind of total lockdown seen in other countries in the region, but officials have said there are plans for stricter measures if needed.
Egyptian security forces cordon off roads during curfew hours as prevention measures due to the coronavirus outbreak, in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, March 29, 2020. For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. (AP PhotoNariman El-Mofty)
The Ministry of Antiquities lights up the Giza pyramids in an expression of support for health workers battling the coronavirus, in Giza, Egypt, Monday, March 30, 2020. The Egyptian government extended the closure of the country's famed museums and archaeological sites, including the Pyramids and the Sphinx at Giza, until at least April 15. (AP PhotoNariman El-Mofty)
A puppy sits near the pyramids before the Ministry of Antiquities lights up the Giza Pyramids in an expression of support for health workers battling the coronavirus, in Giza, Egypt, Monday, March 30, 2020. The Egyptian government extended the closure of the country's famed museums and archaeological sites, including the Pyramids and the Sphinx at Giza, until at least April 15. (AP PhotoNariman El-Mofty)
The Ministry of antiquities lights up the pyramids in an expression of support for health workers battling the coronavirus outbreak, Monday, March 30, 2020, in Giza, Egypt. (AP PhotoNariman El-Mofty)