After the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced on Thursday that it was easing its guidance for fully vaccinated people in the USA, saying they do not need to wear masks outdoors and can avoid wearing them indoors in most places, what is Egypt’s situation from an announcement such as this, could we potentially lift mask wearing requirements in public areas?
According to Dr. Mohey Ebeid, head of the Egyptian pharmacist syndicate, when some countries announce that fully vaccinated people could no longer need to wear masks in public areas, this is only possible when a large number of people in the country get vaccinated, as they gain immunity against the virus, and therefore they would be safe from carrying the virus or spreading it.
Since the number of infected cases decreases while the vaccination process is taking place, it becomes safer for countries to announce they do not require people to wear face masks anymore, and means the country is “heading in the right direction”, added Dr. Ebeid.
When asked if this mask lift could potentially happen in Egypt, Dr. Ebeid said “the awareness about getting vaccinated spreads more and more each day, once a certain number of people in the country gets vaccinated and the number of infected cases decreases visibly, we could possibly have the face mask restrictions lifted.” It is a matter of people’s interest and awareness of the vaccines available.
However, each vaccine has a different method of approaching the virus. Dr. Ebeid mentioned the Chinese vaccine which attacks the virus and weakens it, giving the person a chance to produce the needed antibodies that fight the virus itself, therefore gaining immunity against it.
Since the vaccines are basically injecting parts of the virus into the bloodstream for the antibodies to be created. Therefore, the person may show symptoms of being infected by the virus. Dr. Edeid recommends that those who get vaccinated should quarantine as well.
Dr. Zeinab Abou El-Naga, chemist named the “Lady of Chemistry” by the UN in 2011 and professor of zoology, said for Egypt to announce a mask restriction lift, it depends on the type of vaccine given to people in the country. The vaccines in the USA are not the same as the ones we have in Egypt. Each vaccine has different side effects and positive or negative outcomes.
The vaccine’s success rate depends on a couple of standards, how strong or weak the person’s immune system is and environmental factors such as their nutrition and hygiene.
“I was at the AUC campus last week and found that they have some concerns about the European vaccine, they found that there is no need for someone who is under 40 years old to take that vaccine as its side effects would be more than that of someone older.” Dr. Abou El-Naga said, adding that the point is to decrease the amount of clots, which exists in people older than 40.
“We now find new mutations in the virus which lead to more younger people passing because of the virus, and on the contrary, older people recovering from the virus normally”.
According to the cabinet meeting held on Wednesday, Dr. Hala Zayed, minister of Health, announced that Egypt will be receiving shipments of the Chinese “SinoPharm” vaccines of 500k doses, making it a total of 2,580,400 doses in Egypt, and 1.9 million doses of the “AstraZeneca” vaccine by the first week of June, making a total of 5,253,600 doses of this vaccine in Egypt. And one million doses of the “SinoVac” vaccine to be received by the end of May or beginning of June, in addition to the raw material required for Egypt to produce 2 million doses of this vaccine.