Covid-19: Current Wave Should End in Next Few Days (Ministry)

During a press briefing dedicated to the presentation of the monthly review of the epidemiological situation for the month of December, the coordinator of the Ministry’s National Center for Public Health Emergency Operations, Mouad Mrabet, recalled that the country is experiencing a fifth small wave of massive spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which began in early November and peaked four weeks later, before the curve of new infections began to decline in early December.

He stressed that the level of prevalence of the virus is currently considered low in five regions and medium in seven others while the red level was not reached during this wave, specifying that the Omicron variant remains dominant in Morocco and in the world, the current wave being moved from the sub-variant BQ.1 and its sub-lineages.

According to data from the national reference laboratories for genomic monitoring, he added, BQ.1 and its strains constitute 91% and XBB.1 represents 4% while 5% concerns other sub-variants of the Omicron lineage.

On a global level, Mrabet noted that the latest official data affirm the absence of a substantive divergence in terms of disease severity caused by the new strains compared to previous Omicron sub-variants, contrary to what is conveyed on social networks.

The data from the national epidemiological surveillance system supports this finding especially that the current wave is characterized by a significant decline in the level of virulence and lethality, he said, adding that only 49 cases were admitted to the resuscitation and intensive care, while 13 people died of complications of the disease, with a case-fatality rate equivalent to 0.2% and three times lower than the case-fatality index recorded in the first wave of Omicron (0.6%).

Regarding fatalities, the average age of the cases was 65 years, all had chronic diseases and immune deficiencies, and none of them received the booster dose of the Covid vaccine, he said.

As far as concern the national vaccination campaign, the coverage rate of the Booster dose reached 18.7%, while more than 57,000 people received the booster shot.

Therefore, the Ministry of Health and Social Protection calls on people with respiratory symptoms to wear a mask and stop all professional or social activities, while going to health facilities for diagnosis and appropriate treatment, especially since the current period is also characterized by the spread of seasonal respiratory viruses.

The Ministry also reminds the elderly and chronically ill of the need to complete their vaccination schedule to boost their immunity to Covid-19.