DOHA: While coronavirus case numbers have been fluctuating in Qatar, a second wave of Covid-19 is still very much in the offing.
However, according to Dr Abdullatif Al Khal, Chair of the National Strategic Group on Covid-19 and Head of the Infectious Diseases Division at Hamad Medical Corporation, the next wave is expected to be weaker, which should come as a relief to people in Qatar.
Speaking to Qatar Television (QTV), he attributed this to effective measures taken against the virus by the authorities in the country.
He said: “The wave we experienced in the second half of May and the first week of June was relatively large, and we do not expect to witness it again. There may be small waves until the end of the year that sometimes may rise and subside, but it would not reach the same level that we experienced before.”
He noted: “However, what is worrying in these waves is the infection is widespread among Qataris, professional residents and young people under 20 years of age, leading to the possibility of them transmitting the virus to their families and older people with chronic diseases.”
Optimistic note
This, he said, would lead to more admissions to intensive care units in hospitals. On an optimistic note, he said: “Adherence to preventive measures will not be for years, but only until the emergence of a vaccination. The results are encouraging and reassuring so far from pharmaceutical companies.”
“The final results ill be available to us by the end of October or November this year,” he said. Al Khal stressed on precautionary measures, which by now are known to all. However, younger people should take utmost care so they do not transmit the virus to the elderly, he said.
Speaking on schools, he said there is nothing to worry about as most teachers and staff have been tested and their results are negative. The Ministry of Public Health will conduct random tests on students as well, to make sure that the virus does not spread among them, he said.
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