Covid assaults the MENA regionIran, Jordan and Morocco have recorded thousands of new Covid-19 infections in recent days, the World Health Organization said Thursday, warning that lockdowns could not stamp out the pandemic. “More than 60 percent of all cases in the past week were reported from three countries — the Islamic Republic of Iran, Jordan and Morocco,” WHO’s regional director Ahmed Al-Mandhari said in a virtual press conference. “Several other countries continue to see an increase in cases, including Lebanon and Pakistan. Countries that reported the largest increase in deaths included Jordan, Tunisia, and Lebanon.”To date, the region covering 22 countries from Morocco to Pakistan has registered some 3.6 million cases, out of a global total of 55 million. But Mandhari warned that official case numbers in the region likely fall far short of the reality. “We believe the actual number of confirmed cases across the region to be even higher, and the recent trends remain highly concerning,” he said. He stressed the need for a comprehensive approach to managing the pandemic, with targeted lockdowns and strict adherence to personal preventive measures. “The increases we are seeing now are clearly a result of the easing of lockdown and restrictions, which succeeded in controlling the pandemic in our region in July and August,” he said. “But lockdowns can only limit transmission to a certain extent.”In Iran, which has seen more than 43,000 deaths out of over 815,000 reported cases since the start of the pandemic, the daily number of confirmed infections is hovering at around 13,000, according to official figures. Tehran has announced between 400-500 deaths a day for several weeks. Morocco on Wednesday passed the grim milestone of 5,000 total deaths from the Covid-19 illness, with over 306,000 cases since March, and around 5,000 new cases announced every day.Jordan meanwhile is recording around 8,000 cases per day, with over 163,000 since the start of the pandemic. Tunisia, which has seen over 83,000 Covid-19 cases, is currently recording some 1,400 new infections and around 100 deaths per day, with November likely to see a record number of coronavirus deaths.AFP |
Despite the containment measures put in place in September to stem the epidemic, the coronavirus continues to spread in Morocco, which has recorded more than 300,000 cases. Casablanca-Settat is home to 18% of the cases. If the country was relatively spared during the first wave, the figures have continued to climb since the start of the school year, reaching records of contamination with more than 5,000 new cases daily. Still, the fatality rate remains below 1.7%.
Doctors and nurses say they are now facing a second wave and they are preparing for a tougher battle. Already intensive care units have reached breaking point with saturated structures handling the elderly and those with underlying conditions. Big hospitals like Ibn Rochd in Casablanca, have invested heavily in increasing their capacity, often doubling them. But still, most hospitals are not prepared to face the onslaught of patients. Ibn Rochd hospital expanded from 65 intensive care beds to 135, spread throughout several intensive care units. The hospital has now begun to filter who it would allow, accepting only the most severe cases. Elsewhere, hospitals are confronted with a shortage of staff, in particular nurses prompting hospital administrators to invite nursing students to come and work. Even the number of doctors nationwide is insufficient to cope with the crisis, considering stress and fatigue.
In Algeria, the Covid-19 situation continues to escalate dangerously. On Saturday, 14 November, one of country’s largest hospitals, the Mustapha Bacha University Hospital, has officially closed its doors, including the emergency unit in the face of a record of influx of new patients infected or suffering from the most severe symptoms. All the dedicated Covid-19 beds are currently occupied, with no room left for new patients.
Mustapha Bacha University Hospital is not the only establishment that has made the decision to deny service to patients. Several other hospitals in and around Algiers have been completely saturated starting in the middle of last week. All of them claim they have no rooms or beds left for new patients who may be experiencing respiratory distress. They include Bachir Mentouri Hospital in the Kouba, El Kettar Hospital and the Beni Messous, another large-scale hospital in the capital. This situation is expected to continue in the weeks to come, making the fall and winters seasons extremely dangerous.
In Tizi Ouzou, Dr. Said Khiar of the Covid-19 unit in Nedir Mohamed Hospital described the current situation as “overwhelming” for hospital staff. In a statement to the media, Dr. Khiar indicated that all hospital beds are now permanently occupied. “Every time a bed is released, it is effectively reoccupied immediately. There are lot of deaths, especially among the elderly and those who have underlying conditions. The Covid unit is dangerously busy, with large crowds inside the department.” Khiar said he was concerned that the workload for the staff has tripled and dozens of doctors and nurses are contaminated.
