KUWAIT: Kuwait's Ministry of Health (MoH) yesterday listed 987 new coronavirus (COVID-19) cases, bringing the caseload of contaminations to 173,983. MoH official spokesperson Dr Abdullah Al-Sanad said that there also were five new fatalities due to infection with the contagious virus registered during the same period, thus mortalities' toll rose to 980.

Dr Sanad also revealed that the number of people who were receiving treatment at intensive care units reached 108 as of yesterday, while the whole count of confirmed infection cases and remained under medical care stood at 9,739. The ministry had earlier reported that 553 patients had recovered during the same period, putting the whole count of recoveries at 163,264. In the meantime, Dr Sanad pointed out that 10,812 swab tests were conducted in the same period, bringing the total number of such examinations to 1,629,388.

COVID-19 vaccines

Meanwhile, the Health Ministry announced yesterday that five more health clinics were opened to administer the coronavirus vaccine. Dr Sanad said that the centers were opened in several health districts including North Ardiyah clinic, Salwa specialized clinic, Musaad Hamad Al-Saleh clinic, East Al-Ahmadi clinic, and Jaber Al-Ahmad clinic 1.

Dr Sanad had affirmed on Tuesday the necessity of cooperation in the society to fight the rise in coronavirus cases. "What we are facing in the State of Kuwait comes within the framework of the global and regional epidemiological sequence," he said.

He noted the ministry has taken proactive measures and doubled precautions to control the pandemic, indicating there are several factors through which the assessment of the epidemiological situation of any community is determined. Of these factors are the number of daily positive infections, the ratio of occupation of ICU beds and the proportion between the infected cases and the medical swabs conducted, he explained.

He made clear that the ratio between the cases and medical swabs hit two percent last December, 8.9 percent last Tuesday and 11.2 percent last Monday. The active cases still receiving treatment reached 3,361 last December compared to 9,310 on Monday, he said. The occupation at hospitals' wards hit seven percent last December, nine percent last January and 11 percent in the first week of February, he stated.

ICUs occupation

Intensive care units (ICUs) occupation reached nine percent last December, 11 percent in second half of January and 15 percent in the first week of February, Dr Sanad added. The total infected cases last January hit 17,653, including 10,787 nationals, he said, noting the percentage of Kuwaitis' infections hit 61.1 percent. Those who are aged 16-44 are highly infected, registering a percentage of 67, 12 out of the total infections, following by those who aged 45-59 with 18.8 percent, he revealed.

The infection of those aged one day-6 months is 0.06 percent, 1.9 percent for those aged 1-4, 4.28 percent for those aged 5-15, three percent for those 60-65 and 3.7 percent for those who are above 65 years, he elaborated. The ministry received 87,552 inquiries from people on vaccination, medical consultation, the new strain of coronavirus and others, he said. Regarding the global pandemic situation, he stressed that in light of the rise in the coronavirus cases all over the world the pandemic must be combated collectively. - KUNA