Saudi Arabia maintains low death rate despite high infection numbers

Saudi Arabia’s coronavirus treatment protocol, extensive testing and active screenings have helped the Kingdom maintain its relatively low death rate, Health Minister Dr. Tawfiq al-Rabiah said on Wednesday.

Even though the health ministry has reported an increasing number of daily new infection cases, al-Rabiah said the death rate remains at less than one percent, that’s 10 times lower than the global death rate, which is seven percent.

The health sector has implemented a uniform treatment protocol developed by the Ministry of Health with a group of Saudi Arabian experts, according to al-Rabiah. The group meets daily to adjust the protocol accordingly based on new treatment methods, he added.

He also said extensive testing and active screenings have contributed to the Kingdom’s success in combating the spread of the virus. These efforts have helped medical teams in identifying and tracking cases before they can further spread the virus. Early detection and treatment have also prevented conditions from getting worse.

Since the start of the pandemic, Saudi Arabia has worked to provide thousands of beds and ventilators for treating patients, according to the health minister.

“The good news is that 96 percent [of the beds and ventilators] are vacant today,” al-Rabiah said. “And with the implementation of preventative measures, we will not need them.”

However, the danger of such a pandemic still exits, according to al-Rabiah. He continued to urge people to comply with preventative measures and described residents as the Kingdom’s “partners in confronting the virus.”

Saudi Arabia has so far recorded 30,251 confirmed cases, 5,431 recovered cases and 200 deaths.