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COVID-19 pandemic in Egypt

The COVID-19 pandemic in Egypt was a part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The virus was confirmed to have reached Egypt on 14 February 2020.

COVID-19 pandemic in Egypt

Wuhan, Hubei, China

14 February 2020
(4 years, 2 months, 1 week and 3 days)

516,023[1]

491,193[2] [3]

24,830[1]

4.81%

Cases in 27 Governorates

  • 56,907,319[1] (total vaccinated)
  • 42,337,175[1] (fully vaccinated)
  • 112,673,535[1] (doses administered)

Background[edit]

On 12 January 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that a novel coronavirus was the cause of a respiratory illness in a cluster of people in Wuhan, Hubei, China, which was reported to the WHO on 31 December 2019.[4][5]


The case fatality ratio for COVID-19 has been much lower than SARS of 2003,[6][7] but the transmission has been significantly greater, with a significant total death toll.[6][8] Model-based simulations for Egypt indicate that the 95% confidence interval for the time-varying reproduction number R t has fluctuated around 1.0 since August 2020.[9]

announced the first case in the country at Cairo International Airport involving a Chinese national on 14 February.[10][11] Egyptian authorities had notified the World Health Organization (WHO) and the patient had been placed in quarantined isolation in hospital.[12] Preventive measures were subsequently taken to monitor those who came into contact with the person where the others tested negative.[13]

Egypt's health ministry

In late February and early March, multiple foreign (SARS-CoV-2) cases associated with travel to Egypt were reported – including two cases in the United States, two cases in Tunisia (Plus several potential cases as the two initial cases were part of 1,000 now quarantined football supporters who visited Egypt from Tunis from 27 February to 1 March)[14][15] two cases in France,[16] one case in Canada,[17] and one case in Taiwan.[18]

severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2

On 28 February, the Egyptian cabinet officially denied rumors of covering up SARS-CoV-2 cases. On 1 March, Qatar banned all arrivals from Egypt, excepting Qatari nationals, as a safety measure to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2.[20] On the same day, Egypt announced the detection of a second case of SARS-CoV-2.[21] On 2 March, Kuwait announced that it would test all arrivals from Egypt and Syria for SARS-CoV-2.[22] It was estimated by Egypt Watch that Egypt had 20 lab-confirmed cases of SARS-CoV-2, which was reported by Middle East Monitor on 2 March. The people with confirmed cases were claimed to be held in military hospitals, inaccessible to the Egyptian Ministry of Health and official health statistics reported to WHO. Confirmed cases allegedly absent from official statistics included a family in Tanta Military Hospital and four people in Qasr El Eyni Hospital.[23]

[19]

Human rights issues[edit]

On 22 July 2020, a report from Human Rights Watch alleged that COVID-19 had infected multiple people inside several Egyptian prisons. Human Rights Watch said that several detainees died, further stating that the detainees were not tested or had not received adequate medical treatment after experiencing suspected virus symptoms.[88]


During the COVID-19 pandemic, the healthcare workers in Egypt denounced the government's handling of the crisis. The country turned down the globally-accepted PCR test, as it opted to use antibody tests. The World Health Organization stated that the antibody tests do not test or detect the virus, but detects the tested person's immune response to the virus. The rapid use of antibody tests began in Egypt from April 2020, where nearly 200,000 tests were conducted by the end of that month. The Egyptian health ministry demanded frontline healthcare workers to get tested through the process once at the end of each shift, while PCR was allowed only after they test positive. It was observed that the misuse of antibody tests helped in spread of the virus.[89]


In June 2021, Amnesty International highlighted what it called the Egyptian government's failure to handle the COVID-19 vaccine rollout strategically. Amnesty International says that marginalized people and those at risk were not given prioritization for vaccination. According to Amnesty, the most affected individuals were the ones living in informal urban settlements or remote rural areas, as well as prisoners, refugees and migrants. While the vaccine rollout's announcement came in January, Amnesty stated that people who had registered for a vaccine in March did not get the vaccine even by the end of July. In April, Mada Masr reported that Egyptian parliamentarians and their families were given preferential treatment to choose between the two vaccines and received their jabs sooner than others, despite not being officially listed on any priority group.[90]

Government responses[edit]

Travel restrictions[edit]

The minister of aviation closed the airports and suspended all air travel, effective 19 March.[91] The decision to suspend flights in Egypt came into effect from 19 March until 31 March.[29]

Testing[edit]

As of March 25, the ministry of health announced that 25,000 PCR tests have been done.[92] As of April 17, 55,000 PCR tests have been done [93] As of April 23, 90,000 PCR tests have been done.[94] As of May 9, 105,000 PCR tests have been done.[95]


Egypt now has more than 40 PCR testing equipment dispersed all over the country.[96]

Censorship[edit]

Foreign media outlets have reported that certain individuals have been arrested for allegedly spreading false information about the coronavirus pandemic.[97][98]

Case estimates[edit]

Based partly on multiple confirmed COVID-19 cases in other countries being linked to travel in Egypt, infectious disease specialists from the University of Toronto, who studied the disparity between official and presumed infection rates, estimated the number of COVID-19 cases in Egypt to be between 6,270 and 45,070 presumed cases (95% confidence interval) in March 2020,[99] a study which was reported on by various foreign media outlets, including British newspaper The Guardian and U.S. newspaper The New York Times.[79][100] This projected figure was far higher than the official count of 126 at the time. The Egyptian Ministry of Health dismissed this estimate as "completely false", and the ministry also said that it reports confirmed cases in the country with "full transparency".[100] A reporter for The Guardian had her accreditation revoked by the State Information Service over the perceived inaccurate information, while a reporter for The New York Times was warned by the SIS for similar reasons.[100]


However, a research paper was later published by Egyptian scientists, including Health Minister Hala Zaid, suggesting that some underestimation may have in fact taken place, and that the actual number of COVID-19 cases in Egypt as of 31 March 2020 could have been between 710 and 5,241 cases, potentially up to seven times higher than the recorded official number at the time.[101] This was followed on 21 May 2020 by Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, the Minister of Higher Education, suggesting that the true number of COVID-19 cases at the time might have been at least 71,145.[102]

COVID-19 pandemic in Africa

COVID-19 pandemic by country and territory

– Map the route paths of SARS-CoV-2 confirmed cases.

Worldwide SARS-CoV-2 Map, confirmed Cases

Wikiversity:COVID-19/All-cause deaths/Egypt