India variant here
KUWAIT CITY, June 14, (Agencies): Official Spokesman of the Kuwaiti Ministry of Health Dr. Abdullah Al-Sanad announced on Monday that it has been confirmed that a number of persons contracted the coronavirus Indian strain, also known as the Delta variant, in the country.
Dr. Al-Sanad said in a statement to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) that the MoH is conducting genetic examinations for the virus on regular basis to study patterns of the strains’ spread in the State of Kuwait and coordinate with states of the world for combating the virus.
The Delta strain has been detected in more than 62 countries throughout the world.
Simultaneously with the emergence of new strains of the coronavirus in some countries, the Kuwaiti MoH has scrambled into taking a chain of precautionary measures, such as genetic planning by specialized technical teams to contain the pathogen, Dr. Al-Sanad added in the remarks to KUNA.
He renewed the call upon citizens and residents to take the standard precautions to cope with various forms of the virus mutations, noting that the precautions must be, now, intensive and continuing, namely taking the vaccines, wearing the masks, maintaining social distancing, cleansing the hands and avoiding gatherings.
A preventive health doctor at the Ministry of Health Dr. Abdullah Behbehani denied the rumors that all recipients of the COVID-19 vaccines will die within two years, reports Aljarida daily.
Stressed
In a press statement, Dr. Behbehani stressed that Dr. Luc Montagnier, who is a Nobel Prize winner, did not say such a thing in his interview, adding that such a claim is not consistent with logic, as there are many vaccines that differ in their platforms, components and the way they work.
He said, “I wonder how it can all lead to one outcome, which is death. This is clear evidence of the bankruptcy of anti-vaccination opponents. In the absence of any scientific argument, they resort to such cheap lies to discourage people from receiving the vaccine.”
On a related topic, Dr. Behbehani indicated that the start of the Pfizer vaccine trials on children under the age of 12 is an important positive step towards returning to normal life and bringing an end to the pandemic.
He explained that this step was expected after approving to give the vaccine to children of age groups between 12 and 15 years last month.
Many adults who received the vaccination are still reluctant to go out, visit, engage in various activities and travel, out of fear that their children will get infected. Clinical trials prove the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine, and this will enable the regulatory bodies in countries to adopt it.
The Ministry of Health, meanwhile, announced shifting Monday’s coronavirus vaccination appointments from Sheikh Jaber Bridge’s center to Kuwait International Fairs Ground in Mishref -- for the second day in a row .
The shift was made to ensure people’s safety due to the continuing dust storm across the country, the ministry said in a statement.
The ministry called on all citizens and expats who have appointments today to head directly to Mishref center in the set timing for their vaccination.
Kuwait is currently gripped with a stormy weather marked with dust waves and low visibility.