‘Kuwait’s health system passes most severe stages of crisis’

KUWAIT CITY, March 16: The preventive measures followed in Kuwait have resulted in a decrease in the COVID-19 infection rate. This has enhanced the degree of certainty that the severity of the fourth wave of the viral spread is receding, reports Al-Qabas daily. There are several factors that contributed to this noticeable decline, such as the increase in the vaccination rate to about 85 percent of the total population eligible for COVID vaccines, increase in the health awareness and avoiding contact with infected people and those showing symptoms of COVID-19 infection. According to health sources, the number of Kuwaiti and expatriate recipients of the COVID- 19 vaccine booster dose in the country exceeded 917,900, as of the beginning of this week.

The total number of recipients of the two COVID-19 doses reached 3,277,024. The national vaccination campaign is continuing efforts at the Mishref Vaccination Center and other health centers with the aim of achieving the campaign goals as soon as possible. Last week, a noticeable decrease in the daily COVID-19 infection rates was recorded compared to the rate recorded last January and February. The recovery rate rose to 98.8 percent, amid a decrease in the clinical occupancy rates in the wards and intensive care units designated for patients with COVID-19, compared to the numbers recorded 30 days ago.

Decrease
The sources stressed that the decrease in daily COVID-19 infection rate does not mean the end of the pandemic. They said the emergence of upcoming waves of the disease is considered a possibility in light of the continuing repercussions of the pandemic in more than one country, highlighting the Delta and Omicron variants that appeared in some countries and their subsequent transmission to Kuwait. The sources affirmed that Kuwait is not isolated from what is happening in the world, and may be affected by the emergence of new variants and strains of the virus at any time.

They stated that the treatment protocols followed by medical staff and nursing bodies in dealing with the COVID-19 cases since the emergence of the pandemic locally in 2020 contributed to the speedy recovery of the infected people, reduction in the rate of complications, and increase in the recovery rates significantly, especially with focus on treating patients from the first moments of infection and applying quarantine.

The sources affirmed that vaccinating the largest possible number of segments of society means relieving pressure on the health system through immunization, adding that continuing the use of masks during the current period is considered the best way to prevent the repercussions of the pandemic. They said the country’s health system has passed the most severe stages of the crisis, and the developments of the coming period are subject to the emergence of new, rapidly spreading mutant, and are related to the extent to which citizens and residents adhere to health instructions to achieve community immunity as quickly as possible.

The sources indicated that returning to normal life requires the stability of numbers and low rates of bed occupancy in wards and intensive care units, and low number of infections compared to the rate of daily swabs, as well as not underestimating the importance of stimulating doses and their demand. They said accelerating the pace of vaccination is the decisive factor in easing or canceling restrictions and preventive precautions.