Covid downward curve likely to continue 

Muscat: The Sultanate of Oman started witnessing a downward curve in the number of cases and hospital inpatients last week.

At the same time, alarmingly, there has been not much reprieve with the number of deaths reported daily. On February 20th, Oman reported 6 deaths and 3628 cases. On February 13, the country reported 4,701 cases and 13 deaths. There were 1,979 cases and three deaths on February 14. On February 15, cases reported were 1,511 and five deaths, 1,430 cases and five deaths on February 16, and 1,440 cases and four deaths on February 17.

Hospital patients have dropped to 340, including 67 in intensive care units (ICUs). There has been a drop in the number of daily patients admitted to hospitals, which came down from 57 to 100 in the previous week According to a consultant at Royal Hospital, the booster dose of the vaccine has helped increase the prevention of the virus and reduce the rate of hospital admission.

He added, 'Infections among the number of vaccinated people is not surprising, but the symptoms were very mild." He retreated that vaccination, including the booster, is necessary as it prevents a patient from having a severe illness, hospitalization, and even death. On the positive side, the government has decided to go ahead with the Muscat Book Fair, starting this week, as part of the plans to coexist with the pandemic.

Several countries have also decided to do away with the PCR tests for fully vaccinated travelers, which is expected to reduce travel-related anxiety and costs. With governments worldwide loosening restrictions and shifting their approach to tackling the acceptance of Covid-19, the travel industry is hoping for a quick recovery.