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Qatar tribune
Tribune News Network
Doha
COVID-19 cases will continue to rise for a certain period in Qatar before it begin to recede, Dr Abdullatif al Khal, Co-chair of the National Epidemic Preparation Committee said in Doha on Thursday.
Addressing a press conference, he said the number of people who got infected by coronavirus went up in the past three weeks and that Qatar was still in the peak stage of the infection.
"Since last Thursday, there has been a fluctuation in the number of cases and the numbers are almost equal. In some days, more infections were recorded than in other days," Dr Khal said.
According to the Ministry of Public Health, as many as 18,890 people have been tested positive for COVID-19 in Qatar, with 16,592 of them being active cases. While, 2,286 people recovered so far, 12 have died.
Most of the active COVID-19 cases are aged between 29 and 34 years, Dr Khal added. 
The transmission rate among the elderly, who are at greater risk for complications once infected, is very low and this is reassuring, he said.
Dr Khal noted that some children were among the infected but they generally exhibit mild or no symptoms at all.
Currently, 109 patients are in in intensive care units, while 208 have been shifted out of ICUs. 
Around eight to 10 patients were shifted to intensive care units everyday for the last six days and most of them are elderly, he said, adding that around 47 percent of those in ICU need ventilators. Lungs of five patients have collapsed and require equipment to compensate for the work of their lungs. 
Dr Khal said the recovery in COVID-19 cases also went up recently.
Recovery happens when the symptoms disappear and the smear test become negative. "Typically, two negative smear test result indicate full recovery."
The recovery period, he added, could vary from two to five weeks.
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07/05/2020
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