Screen grab of Dr. Abdul Latif Al Khal, Head of the Infectious Diseases Division at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) while speaking to Qatar TV.
Qatar is eyeing to bring a new medicine which has shown potentially effective results in the treatment of COVID-19 patients during trials, said a health official.
“Recently some results of the experiments which were conducted by the US on using a new medicine called ‘Remdesivir’ for coronavirus patients were found effective somehow,” said Dr. Abdul Latif Al Khal, Head of the Infectious Diseases Division at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) while speaking to Qatar TV yesterday.
He said that the new medicine which is administered through veins of critical cases of coronavirus showed help in alleviating the symptoms of disease in the patients in 11 days instead of 15 days and the mortality rate also reduced from 11 percent to 8 percent.
“We are awaiting more results and details of the experiments on the new medicine and also awaiting when this medicine is made available to buy and provide to the patients in Qatar,” said Dr. Al Khal. He said that there are a number of medicines which are being used for the treatment of coronavirus patients and the medicine is being given when needed.
“However, cases that do not show the symptoms or carrying very mild symptoms are not given medicines of coronavirus,” said Dr. Al Khal. He said that the patients suffering from coronavirus severely with symptoms like high temperatures and breathing problems are being given medicines like hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin and others which help in treatment and recovery.
Dr. Al Khal called upon people to not come out from homes at the time when the positive cases are on spike except in the cases of utmost need. He said that people should wear face masks while going out and interacting with others. “They are also needed to keep sanitising their hands and keep safe distance, at least two meters, especially when they are in public places like shopping complexes,” he added.
He said that Qatar is tracing and screening all cases which came in the contacts of the confirmed positive cases of coronavirus.
“The Ministry of Public Health dispatches immediately a medical team to the accommodations and work places of infected people to screen all those came in their contacts,” said Dr. Al Khal.
He said that sometime thousands of people of contacts were screened in a day which led to detect more cases that did not show any symptoms of coronavirus but if they were left without screening, they might cause spreading virus largely.
