Since the start of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, health authorities in Qatar have gone above and beyond to detect and monitor suspected cases of the virus.

Qatar's leadership together with competent authorities has played a tremendous role in bolstering the health sector and ensuring the healthcare needs of the population are met efficiently.

So far, more than 600,000 tests have been conducted in the state of Qatar since the start of the pandemic.

Qatar's emphasis on COVID-19 testing whether in terms of contact tracing or randomly understanding the spread of the disease also plays a critical role in identifying disease transmission and early detection

The country has run as many as 5,000 tests every day. As of now, as many as 604,112 individuals have undergone COVID-19 testing in Qatar.

Right from the start of the virus outbreak, Qatar has worked hard to ensure that every patient with COVID-19 is able to quickly access the medical care they need.

The number of new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Qatar has been consistently falling in recent weeks and it is clear that we are past the peak of the virus.

The prowess of the health system, supported by state-of-the-art technologies and highly-skilled medical staff, has led to an impressive number of recoveries. As of today, August 26, the total number of recoveries in Qatar has reached 114,558.

In addition to the recoveries, Qatar has become the first country in the GCC region with less than 3000 active cases according to world meter.

MOPH says Qatar has one of the lowest COVID-19 death rates in the world #QNA

— Qatar News Agency (@QNAEnglish) August 25, 2020

Compared to other GCC countries, Qatar's total number of COVID-19 deaths has been really low. Qatar has a mortality rate of less than 0.20percent. While other countries, including those with advanced healthcare systems, have had much higher mortality rates. Some examples include UAE (0.60 percent), Oman (0.80 percent), Bahrain (0.40 percent), Saudi Arabia(1.2percent), Kuwait(0.6percent).

A combination of factors has led to a low mortality rate for COVID-19 in Qatar. Among these, is a relatively younger population, with an average age of about 33 years.

Another significant and perhaps one of the key factors is the role of Qatar's crisis management committee assigned to deal with the spread of this pandemic.

Under the direction of the Ministry of Public Health, the committee has not only helped manage the crisis in its different stages through effective decision-making and planning but has also kept the public well-informed on the situation whether in terms of daily statistics of the virus, preventive and precautionary measures and raising awareness and stressing adherence to safety guidelines to help protect the health of the wider community.

Another main factor is Qatar's solid healthcare system, which has been instrumental in dealing with COVID-19 cases in the country efficiently

Earlier, the Hamad Medical Corporation highlighted that the laboratories were previously working at an operating capacity of 16 percent but since the COVID-19 outbreak, they have been working 24/7 at the current operating capacity of 100 percent.

Six months since the COVID-19 outbreak in Qatar, the country has managed to flatten the curve and reduce the impact of COVID-19 by 90 percent, thanks to the proactiveness and efficiency of the health system have ensured early detection, timely care, and appropriate management of COVID-19 cases. 

In terms of testing, laboratories at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) began working-round-the-clock and new equipment was introduced to accelerate the process of getting results.

These dedicated efforts have garnered praise from world entities such as the World Health Organization as well as the United Nations.

The country was quick to transform some of its existing facilities into dedicated testing and treatment centers for COVID-19 patients. In addition to this, it also set up new facilities and field hospitals specifically for COVID-19 cases.

As Qatar enters phase 4 of the easing of restrictions this month, the Ministry continues to urge everyone to follow the recommended preventive measures to help the country defeat COVID-19.

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