Jordan News

Emad Abdel Karim

Once again, the Corona virus is developing its capabilities and striking hard through the new mutant “Omicron” in a number of countries in the world and causing a great wave of panic around the world.

The World Health Organization, which has been content with warning for days about the severity and danger of the virus, confirms in its latest data that understanding the severity level of the omicron variable will take days to several weeks, and that obtaining more accurate information about the transmissibility, danger and characteristics of the omicron mutant to reveal its secret and resolve the issue of its danger and the effectiveness of vaccines with it. .

Jordan, which is in a worrying epidemiological situation, after Corona’s injuries approached 6,000 a day, is experiencing fears of transmission of the new mutant in light of the openness of the vital sectors in the country, and it has no ability to return to the closures or to ban the movement of citizens again.

Preparations and possible scenarios

Member of the Epidemiology Committee, Dr. Bassam Hijjawi, points out that Jordan is currently seeking to prevent the emergence of the new mutator in the country, until information about it appears that helps in ways to prevent or respond to it, and whether the currently available vaccines are resistant to it.

In exclusive statements to the Jordan News Online newspaper, Hijjawi said, “We have full preparations for the inventory of the new mutant, most notably strengthening the epidemiological and laboratory monitoring systems at borders, crossings and airports, and examining travelers, in addition to arrangements and preparations for institutional quarantine for Jordanians coming from countries that have recorded infections in the mutant Omicron.”

He pointed out that “despite the scarcity of information about the severity of the new mutant, it will most likely not be more severe than the delta mutant, which is currently spreading in Jordan and is dealt with with all medical professionalism and through unprecedented procedures in all sectors.”

On the possible scenarios, Hijjawi stressed, “We are confronting the virus with the knowledge and experience that we have accumulated and acquired by confronting many mutagens that have passed through the country, the last of which was the Indian Delta mutant, which is one of the most powerful mutant that has been confronted.”

Hijjawi rejected the calls of some to go to closures in vital sectors or convert education in schools and universities to a remote system instead of face-to-face education, noting that “we do not need to make any closures, as the current epidemiological situation does not require a review of face-to-face education in schools.” Or universities, or any closures that harm the economic sectors.”

Education in schools.. Continuity amid anxiety and fears

For his part, the media spokesman in the Ministry of Education, Dr. Ahmed Al-Masa’fa, said that the ministry endeavored with all its efforts when announcing the return of learning in schools in an ad hoc manner to create a safe and healthy learning environment for students, noting that the situation is becoming more difficult due to the increasing number of injuries among students and educational and administrative staff. .

He also indicated in statements to “Jordan News” that the ministry faced with firmness and caution the developments of the virus and its successive waves by implementing a harsh health protocol in public and private schools, which was represented in the spacing inside the classrooms, conducting rapid examinations and transferring education in a number of schools and classrooms to Remote system, in the event that injuries appear among students and if the percentage of injuries reaches more than 10% of the percentage of students in the classroom and in the school as a whole.

On the new axis, Al-Masafa stressed that the ministry is working in full coordination with health and control authorities, and that any development or escalation of the epidemiological situation will be a joint decision with several parties, and the ministry will not delay in implementing any decision that would preserve the safety and health of students and teaching staff.

Crisis Center.. Endeavors for clinical studies on the mutant

In an exclusive interview with “Jordan News”, he indicated that the center is developing a risk map that constantly provides information and feedback on the rates and numbers of injuries, so that this information is provided to decision makers to take appropriate decisions.

For his part, Director of the Media Response Unit and Media Spokesperson for the National Center for Security and Crisis Management, Dr. Ahmed Al-Nuaimat, said, “The center seeks, in cooperation with the Ministry of Health and health authorities in the private sector, to conduct clinical studies to reach a broader and more comprehensive detail on the nature of the new mutant “Omicron.”

He stressed the intensive follow-up of the center to the development of the epidemiological situation and the increase in the number and percentage of infections with the Corona virus, in addition to following up on the implementation of preventive measures such as taking vaccinations and conducting examinations.

Confusion in file management

The former Minister of Health and Minister of Education, Dr. Walid Al-Maani, published a comment on Twitter, criticizing the large number of changes in those responsible for the epidemic file and assigning the matter to non-specialists, noting that this trend will have only one result: confusion in managing the file. It affects the health of the citizen.

Saad Al-Kharabsheh, the former Minister of Health, wrote, on his Facebook page, a post under the title “Who led us?”, in which he said, “Jordan witnessed 3 waves of the epidemic and 3 mutants of the virus, during which 3 health ministers, 3 secretaries of epidemics, and two heads of the National Epidemiological Center were changed.”

Development of distance education tools

For his part, the educational expert, Dr. Muhammad Abu Amara, believes that the most prominent preparations that must be made to confront the development in the epidemiological situation are the modernization and development of distance education methods and platforms so that they are ready for any emergency or event related to the spread of the virus in its third wave that we have been witnessing for days.

In his speech to “Jordan News”, he pointed to the importance of granting wider and greater powers to schools and their educational cadres by giving them more powers to open platforms belonging to their schools – especially in public schools – to give lessons and daily classes and under the supervision of the school teachers themselves so that our students do not remain hostage One platform may be unfair what you provide in terms of school materials and lessons for students, especially since students’ environments are diverse and also their levels and the individual differences between them vary and differ.

Abu Omara also pointed out, “The importance of giving the file of prevention and protection from the spread of the virus in our schools a paramount importance during the coming period, as we began to notice a large spread and a rise in the number of infections, especially in schools, and this leads us to the need for us to have two options for education so that we follow the two methods of education in schools.” Through face-to-face and distance education, in case we have large numbers of injuries in our schools.”

He added that the decision to amend the dates of the final exams for the first semester is a sound option and a good preventive measure that reduces mixing in cold weather, which may reduce cases of infection.