While cases of common cold, diarrhea, and Covid-19 initially increased at the beginning of April, they later decreased by the end of the month. In March, a total of 37,969 cases of these diseases were reported. However, in April, the total number of cases decreased to 29,970 cases.

In addition to dengue fever, there has been an increase in influenza cases, with a total of 609 patients tested thus far. Out of those tested, 75 individuals have tested positive for the virus

Dengue (break-bone fever) is a viral infection that spreads from mosquitoes to people. It is more common in tropical and subtropical climates.

Most people who get dengue won’t have symptoms. But for those that do, the most common symptoms are high fever, headache, body aches, nausea and rash. Most will also get better in 1–2 weeks. Some people develop severe dengue and need care in a hospital. 

In severe cases, dengue can be fatal.  

You can lower your risk of dengue by avoiding mosquito bites especially during the day.

Dengue is treated with pain medicine as there is no specific treatment currently.

Symptoms

Most people with dengue have mild or no symptoms and will get better in 1–2 weeks. Rarely, dengue can be severe and lead to death.  

If symptoms occur, they usually begin 4–10 days after infection and last for 2–7 days. Symptoms may include:

• high fever (40°C/104°F)
• severe headache
• pain behind the eyes
• muscle and joint pains
• nausea
• vomiting
• swollen glands
• rash. 

The latest fatality is a 46-year-old woman from R. Dhuvaafaru. 

Her death marks the second COVID-19 fatality this Monday, and increases Maldives’ death toll from the virus to 225. 

Dhuvaafaru councilor Zuhudha Adam told Sun the woman was transferred to Hulhumale’ Medical Facility a week back. She was initially treated at the R. Ungoofaaru Hospital, but was transferred to the capital after her condition deteriorated. 

Zuhudha said that the family reported there were no improvements in her condition even after the transfer.

Her death was reported at approximately 01:30 pm this Monday. 

Her death marks the fifth COVID-19 fatality from Dhuvaafaru. 

Zuhudha said that two more COVID-19 patients from Dhuvaafaru are in serious condition, and have been transferred to hospitals in the capital. 

Maldives has 79,959 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 95 new cases recorded on Sunday. 78,076 patients have since recovered. 

The country currently has 1,648 active cases. 16 of the patients are hospitalized. 

Recently, it has come to light that the COVID-19 vaccination card issued in the Maldives has been considered inadmissible in some foreign countries such as the UAE – as the card does not specify the name of the country in which the vaccine is administered at.

However, this card is accepted in Malaysia – a country where a lot of Maldivians live and subsequently is used by many locals as proof of vaccination.

Speaking at a press conference held this afternoon, Spokesperson Mabrook had stated that the present vaccine card had actually been created to be used only locally.

“This is just as a proof of vaccination. We enter the data into the local database and just give the card with a seal affixed,” he had said.

In addition to this, Spokesperson Mabrook stated that vaccine card had not been prepared as one that is internationally accepted – as the requirements and the information which must be there in a vaccine passport had not been decided back then.

“Back then the countries did not have a common understanding on what the policies should be when formulating this – how the vaccine passport should be and what information must be in it,” he had said.

Mabrook also added that as the Health Minister has stated before, the authorities were currently working on introducing an internationally accepted vaccine passport by the end of this month.

He also noted the digital vaccine passport introduced under the name ‘COVID Safe’ is part of such efforts.