Coronavirus: about 40% of UAE deaths linked to diabetes

Emirates recorded 342 new cases and again almost twice as many 667 recoveries

People with diabetes should adhere to strict precautionary measures as 40 per cent of deaths in the UAE have been linked to this underlying health condition, authorities said.

Those suffering from diabetes should be extra careful and maintain a healthy lifestyle as the health issue increases a patient’s risk of dying.

“As our records show that 40 per cent of Covid-19 deaths have been associated with diabetes, we urge the public to pay more attention to groups at risk," said Dr Amna Al Shamsi, official spokeswoman for the UAE government.

"These include the elderly and people who have diabetes and other chronic diseases."

The UAE on Monday reported 342 new cases of Covid-19 on Monday, taking the country's infection tally to 42,636.

The cases were confirmed after more than 27,000 tests were conducted across the country in the 24 hours.

Authorities from the Ministry of Health and Prevention said 667 more people had recovered from the virus with total recoveries at 28,129.

Two have died, with 291 deaths from the disease.

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Fatima Al Abdouli, spokeswoman for the Ministry of Infrastructure Development, said a smart platform had been launched to support the government’s efforts in dealing with the coronavirus crisis.

The platform offers data from 3,500 government buildings that can hold 500,000 people and could be be used during emergencies.

“The new platform also offers up-to-date information about the National Disinfection Programme, interactive maps and several other smart tools to support decision making at times of crisis,” Ms Al Abdouli said.

"It enables decision-makers to determine the need for certain government buildings and establishments in times of crisis depending on their proximity to residential areas and health facilities.

“The data provided by the smart platform includes the location of each building, its area, facilities, accommodation capacity, surrounding hospitals and medical centres and the readiness at times of crisis.”

This smart platform aids the government’s decision-making by offering realtime data while dealing with crises such as the coronavirus pandemic.

The Alhosn app, on the other hand, is the UAE’s official Covid-19 testing and contact tracing app for residents and citizens, meant to help stop widespread infections.