UAE announces 513 new cases

In the United Arab Emirates, the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) yesterday announced 513 new COVID-19 cases in the country and also noted an additional 712 individuals had fully recovered from the infection, bringing the total number of recoveries to 25,946.

The total number of cases in UAE now stands at 41,499. The Ministry also announced one death as a result of COVID-19 complications. It added that the total number of deaths in the country has reached 287.

In Saudi Arabia, the Ministry of Health in a statement said that the tally of confirmed cases of Novel Coronavirus, in the Kingdom, rose to 1,19,943 cases as 3,921 new cases were reported. The death toll in the Kingdom went up to 893 as 36 new fatalities were reported. Majority of the new cases were detected in the city of Riyadh, followed by Jeddah and Mecca.

Bangladesh launches Plasma Network

The Bangladesh Government has launched an online network to facilitate plasma exchange between recovered patients of COVID 19 and those undergoing treatment for Corona infection in the country. The initiative named ‘Shohojodha’ has been launched by the ICT division of the government of Bangladesh in collaboration with Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), a2i innovation lab and eGeneration to facilitate collection and distribution of plasma from patients who have recovered from Coronavirus.

Launching the network through a virtual programme on Tuesday, the State ICT Minister Zunaid Ahmad Palak said that the government is implementing IT infrastructure over the existing system to improve health outcomes concerning Coronavirus.

The plasma therapy for the Coronavirus patients in Bangladesh is under the trial process awaiting final approval from the government. In the meanwhile, the number of deaths and new infections reached record levels on Tuesday with 45 patients dying and 3171 new Coronavirus infections taking place in the country. According to the latest figures of the DGHS, till Tuesday, 975 patients had died while 71,675 persons were infected in the country. Bangladesh reported the first Corona positive case on March 8 while the first death was reported on March 18.

Coronavirus cases soar to 3,448 in Nepal

In Nepal, 213 more persons tested positive for COVID-19. According to the Ministry of Health and Population total number of Coronavirus cases has soared to 3,448.

The COVID-19 cases are continuously increasing in the Himalayan nation and over 1800 persons have been diagnosed with Coronavirus in the last one week. However, there is good news also as 102 persons cured and discharged from various hospitals today. With this 467 people have recovered from COVID-19 so far.

Now, Nepal has 2,968 active cases, while 13 persons have died of Coronavirus. Out of 77 districts, 71 have reported Coronavirus infection till date.

WHO trains medical professionals online in Srilanka

 World Health Organization Sri Lanka (WCO-SRL) and the National Human Resource (HR) Capacity Development Program of the Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medical Services (MoH) conducted an online training program for nursing professionals, medical officers, mental health professionals, and consultants. Over 1,000 participants in training centers at 32 hospitals across the country joined the online training program.

The program is composed of a series of training sessions. The first two were held this past Wednesday. The first session was on infection prevention and control in healthcare settings during the COVID-19 pandemic. This session, conducted by Dr Kushlani Jayatilleke, Consultant Microbiologist from the Sri Jayewardenepura Teaching Hospital, featured an insightful presentation on the procedures employed to ensure the safety of healthcare staff. Dr. Kulshani discussed how to administratively and logistically manage these procedures in healthcare settings. She also explained the rationale behind the safety procedures and emphasized the importance of evidence-based action, which can help counter any undue fear that could impact staff motivation.

The second session was on psychosocial support for health care workers engaged in COVID-19 care. This session, conducted by Ms. Sadhani Rajapakse, a Clinical Psychologist and the National Professional Officer for Psychosocial Wellbeing at WCO-SRL, provided an introduction to Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Services (MHPSS). Ms. Sadhani discussed key techniques, such as Psychological First Aid, that can be used to support persons going through difficult times by helping them cope better. The session was interactive bringing in elements of quizzes and activities that aspired to keep the crowd engaged. The participants were encouraged to use psychosocial principles in their service to support both the patients they encounter and their colleagues and family. Ms. Sadhani also stressed the importance of self-care and encouraged the participants to practice psychosocial techniques to maintain their personal wellbeing in addition to their patients.