Cases of Covid-19 are higher in women than men in Saudi Arabia because they are less likely to be vaccinated against the deadly virus, the kingdom’s health ministry said on Sunday.
The kingdom has reported a spike in cases during the last few weeks with daily cases reaching nearly 1,000 in comparison to less than 500 per day last month.
Nearly 55 per cent of the recently reported cases are among women in the country due to a lack of female demand for getting vaccinated, Dr Mohammed Al Abdul Ali, assistant Minister of Health and the ministry’s spokesman said.
“There has also been a surge in the number of women who have been admitted to intensive care units after their conditions turned critical,” Dr Ali said.
Women’s uptake of the vaccine is “below the expected level”, he said.
Dr Ali urged all citizens and residents to ensure they get the vaccination to prevent the virus from spreading and to ensure their health condition does not deteriorate if they catch it.
“The condition of all those who have previously taken it, both male and female from different age groups, is reassuring and they have not developed any health problems or unexpected symptoms so far,” he said.
The increased number of cases “is worrying,” he said, adding that case numbers are higher than at the beginning of the year due to a lack of commitment in getting the vaccine.
Saudi Arabia has given more than seven million doses of coronavirus vaccines to citizens and residents as part of its immunisation drive.
The health ministry said vaccines were given at more than 587 sites across the kingdom.
Saudi Arabia approved the AstraZeneca and Moderna vaccines in January to speed up the inoculation campaign.
Prior to the new year, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was in use.
Those wishing to get a vaccine can do so by applying through the Tawakkalna mobile app.
The development comes as the country's interior ministry warned it would reimpose health measures such as quarantining and isolating cities and neighbourhoods if public negligence continues.
“Despite the efforts taken by the government to curb the spread of the virus and ensuring that the public’s health is a priority, we are still seeing many citizens and residents not adhering to the measures imposed,” Talal Al Shalhoub, an interior ministry spokesman said late Sunday.
Mr Al Shalhoub said those who violate isolation or quarantine measures will face a maximum fine of SR200,000 or imprisonment of two years, or of both.
"In the event of repeating the violation, the penalty will be doubled,” he said.
The total number of infected cases in Saudi Arabia currently stands at 404,970 while fatalities from the virus have reached 6,823.
Springtime in a Broken Mirror,
Mario Benedetti, Penguin Modern Classics
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
The biog
Nickname: Mama Nadia to children, staff and parents
Education: Bachelors degree in English Literature with Social work from UAE University
As a child: Kept sweets on the window sill for workers, set aside money to pay for education of needy families
Holidays: Spends most of her days off at Senses often with her family who describe the centre as part of their life too
Various Artists
Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World (Habibi Funk)
The National in Davos
We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.
ABU DHABI ORDER OF PLAY
Starting at 10am:
Daria Kasatkina v Qiang Wang
Veronika Kudermetova v Annet Kontaveit (10)
Maria Sakkari (9) v Anastasia Potapova
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova v Ons Jabeur (15)
Donna Vekic (16) v Bernarda Pera
Ekaterina Alexandrova v Zarina Diyas
The five pillars of Islam
More from Neighbourhood Watch
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
On Instagram: @WithHopeUAE
Although social media can be harmful to our mental health, paradoxically, one of the antidotes comes with the many social-media accounts devoted to normalising mental-health struggles. With Hope UAE is one of them.
The group, which has about 3,600 followers, was started three years ago by five Emirati women to address the stigma surrounding the subject. Via Instagram, the group recently began featuring personal accounts by Emiratis. The posts are written under the hashtag #mymindmatters, along with a black-and-white photo of the subject holding the group’s signature red balloon.
“Depression is ugly,” says one of the users, Amani. “It paints everything around me and everything in me.”
Saaed, meanwhile, faces the daunting task of caring for four family members with psychological disorders. “I’ve had no support and no resources here to help me,” he says. “It has been, and still is, a one-man battle against the demons of fractured minds.”
In addition to With Hope UAE’s frank social-media presence, the group holds talks and workshops in Dubai. “Change takes time,” Reem Al Ali, vice chairman and a founding member of With Hope UAE, told The National earlier this year. “It won’t happen overnight, and it will take persistent and passionate people to bring about this change.”
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
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On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Huroob Ezterari
Director: Ahmed Moussa
Starring: Ahmed El Sakka, Amir Karara, Ghada Adel and Moustafa Mohammed
Three stars
Results:
First Test: New Zealand 30 British & Irish Lions 15
Second Test: New Zealand 21 British & Irish Lions 24
Third Test: New Zealand 15 British & Irish Lions 15
