During the sixth press conference for the Supreme Committee for Crisis Management held yesterday the Chair of the Infectious Diseases Division and the Communicable Diseases at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) Dr. Abdullatif Al Khal said the infected persons with Coronavirus (Covid-19) are divided into three groups: the first group is for cases with mild or no symptoms and they are isolated so that the virus does not spread to other individuals and these are monitored by the medical and nursing staff until the recovery phase is complete, where periodic laboratory tests are performed and often after two to three weeks, the tests become negative.
The second group is for severe cases, which often have inflammation of the lower respiratory tract (lungs) and are isolated and hospitalized and given a set of drugs to reduce the severity of inflammation.
The third group is for those who need intensive care, and they will be given a larger set of drugs and put on a ventilator for several days to help their immune system to overcome the virus, and then gradual improvement will be noticed, Al Khal pointed out.
He noted that most of the diagnosed cases are still subject to isolation and treatment, the majority of cases are between the 20s to 40s, and 18 people are in intensive care.
Dr. Al Khal confirmed that there is no scientific evidence that taking medications used in hospitals prevents infection with the virus, advising to avoid such drugs because of their side effects.
He stressed the importance of social distancing between members of society even in the same house and that each individual is obligated to stay in his room as much as possible to reduce the spread of the virus in the community, noting that the State has played its full role in providing all conditions, taking all decisions, applying all procedures, and publishing all instructions to reduce gatherings and limit the spread of the disease.
Dr. Al Khal expressed his concern over the potential increase of cases who need intensive care, especially those who suffer from diabetes, heart, kidney, and lung diseases, and those who take immunosuppressive drugs and the elderly, stressing the need to protect this group and advised them to stay at home.
Dr. Al Khal emphasized that there is no relation between infection with the virus and age, as the disease may be severe for youth as well.
As for the signs of recovery, he explained that for those with severe symptoms, the signs of recovery are low temperature, less coughing, easier to breathe, and a laboratory examination of respiratory secretions has shifted from positive to negative.