WATCH: Why Qatar has one of the lowest mortality rates for COVID-19 in the world?

Qatar's response and overall strategy to tackle the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has been remarkable. 

The country's strong focus on testing and ensuring sufficient healthcare and quarantine facilities for COVID-19 cases have allowed it to manage the crisis in the best way possible.

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

As the country has overcome the peak stage of the virus and has been implementing a four-phased gradual lifting of restrictions, it is important to see why it has one of the lowest mortality rates in the world.

The number of positive COVID-19 cases in Qatar may have been noticeably high in contrast to its population size, but compared to other countries with similar infection rates, Qatar's total number of COVID-19 deaths has been really low.

Qatar has a mortality rate of less than 0.15 percent. While other countries, including those with advanced healthcare systems, have had much higher mortality rates. Some examples include France (17.70 percent), Canada (8.20 percent), US (4.37 percent), Japan (4.94 percent), China (5.54 percent).

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.

Complementing the age factor is an overall healthy population that places importance on physical fitness and exercise.

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

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.

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, July 7, the total number of recoveries in Qatar has reached 94, 903.

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. Like any other disease, early detection allows timely treatment and appropriate care.

The country can run as many as 5,000 tests every day. As of now, as many as 390997 individuals have undergone COVID-19 testing in Qatar.

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.

As Qatar entered phase 2 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.

For any queries, or concerns related to COVID-19 in Qatar, the public can contact a 24/7 hotline set up by the Ministry. The hotline number is 16000 and is toll-free.

Here's everything you need to know about the virus, including ways to protect yourself.

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