After three years, the World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that COVID-19 is no longer considered a public health emergency. With lockdowns, quarantines, social distancing and mask mandates as a slowly fading memory, News@AUC interviewed Hassan Azzazy, distinguished University professor in the Department of Chemistry and head of AUC's Scientific Advisory Committee, and Bassem Gamil, director of medical services at AUC, on what this means for the future.

What does the statement from the WHO mean?

Azzazy: It means that COVID-19 is no longer considered a “public health emergency of international concern." This decision was based on the reported sustained decrease in COVID-19-related hospitalizations, intensive care admissions and deaths, in addition to the observed high population immunity against SARS-CoV-2. 

Gamil: ]COVID-19 no longer qualifies as a global emergency. So WHO is transitioning from an emergency response to longer-term sustained COVID disease management. 

Does this mean the pandemic is over?

Azzazy: COVID-19 still represents a global health threat. Over the past three years, COVID-19 has killed or sickened over 750 million people across the globe, with actual figures higher than reported ones. Although the number of COVID-19 deaths has dramatically decreased by 95% since last January, it still claimed 20 lives per hour last month. 

So what has changed?

Gamil: WHO is changing its approach. The initial strategy was to treat the pandemic as an emergency. The new strategy is focused on long-term COVID-19 disease management. WHO is also emphasizing the need to prepare for future pandemics.

Azzazy: The declaration gives countries a green light to go back to life as we knew it before COVID-19. Countries are no longer required to implement emergency health measures and mobilize resources, including free testing, vaccines or medications.

What about precautionary measures inside and outside AUC?

Azzazy: AUC has removed vaccination requirements sand reduced precautionary measures as per the updated national and international guidelines. 

Gamil: Most countries and global health institutes have reduced precautionary measures, including travel requirements and vaccination proof while keeping prophylactic health measures in place. Although AUC has removed the vaccination requirement from the visitors policy and lightened precautionary measuresOffice of Medical Services still deals seriously with the flu and possible COVID-19 cases to provide optimum care without interrupting the flow of work or classes.

What challenges may lay ahead?

Azzazy: Many countries have reduced their testing and tracing efforts. This could jeopardize monitoring of known variants as well as detection of new ones. Most recently, a new subvariant of Omicron “Arcturus” is reported to cause a surge of infections in India and was also detected in several other countries. On the other hand, there is a need to address the “long COVID” condition in which patients may experience severe symptoms in multiple organ systems which can last for months or years and is reported in 10% of SARS-CoV-2 infections.

Is another pandemic possible?

Gamil: WHO has stated that the world must prepare in the future for outbreaks deadlier than COVID-19, and I think that is a real possibility. If that happens, putting the public back under precautionary measures after the long years of COVID might be the bigger challenge.

What can we do in the meantime?

Azzazy: Individuals should continue to practice good personal hygiene, such as frequently washing hands, using disinfectants, which are key to minimising chances of contracting any infection. People who experience a cold or COVID-like symptoms should promptly seek medical advice and report symptoms to AUC clinic.  

Gamil: My advice to AUC community members when getting a cold or feeling sick with COVID-like symptoms is to report their symptoms on the COVID-19 reporting system and seek medical consultation so that the treating physician can guide them to the treatment plan. Whether they need to get tested or not is left to clinical judgment and advice.

Magda Mostafa, associate professor of design in the Department of Architecture and associate at Progressive Architects, has been honored with a Friendly and Inclusive Spaces Award from the International Union of Architects (UIA) for her "Autism Friendly University Design Guide."

Mostafa’s guide aims to support students and staff on the autism spectrum through many avenues, including raising awareness and acceptance, adapting university environments and building initiatives that encourage autistic community members to engage in every aspect of university life. This project was a response to a global call for proposals from Dublin City University (DCU) and Ireland’s National Autism Society (AsIAM). 

“I was honored to be selected for this pioneering work, primarily because it was informed and led by autistic students, advocates and leaders at DCU and AsIAM,” stated Mostafa. 

UIA’s award is given in recognition of an evidence-based design research project that makes a significant contribution to improved quality of life through facilitating a better understanding of human-centered design and its application to the design of the built environment. An international jury recognized Mostafa with the award, stating: “This research has excellent methodology and application. It covers a wide range of design for senses and environmental conditions and results in a set of manageable guidelines.”

Described by ArchDaily as “a pioneer” and “the world’s pre-eminent researcher” in autism design, Mostafa is author of the Autism ASPECTSS™ Design Index, the world’s first evidence-based set of design guidelines outlining seven architectural criteria to help individuals with autism interact more effectively with their built environments. She also published a first-of-its-kind design guide for the world's first autism-friendly university. Originally commissioned by Dublin City University, the guide is replicable across other universities and entities.

Mostafa’s most recent work is currently on display at the 2023 Venice Architecture Biennale. Titled “A Case for Sensory Decolonization: Autistic Escape,” her immersive and interactive project argues that our cities have become colonized by sensory overload that, “if left uncurated, can be a barrier to the inclusion of autistic bodies in these spaces and discourage their safe, accessible and equitable participation in the everyday lives of our cities.”

Two AUC students won an Elevator Pitch competition at the American Society of Mechanical Engineers EFx (e-fest) Cairo 2023, which took place at the New Cairo campus. Mechanical engineering majors Zahwa Kortam and Abdallah Sabah placed first and second, respectively.

The competition required contestants to imagine themselves as a lead researcher in a prestigious engineering department who needs to convince an investor in less than 90 seconds to fund their project on reducing carbon dioxide emissions. 

“I learned that life really does give you 90 seconds and that’s it,” said Kortam. “No one has time for the 20-minute presentations we would perform in school. We must be able to build our communication skills and technical understanding enough to sell in just two minutes. Through this experience, I got the chance to attempt that firsthand and it definitely won’t be my last time.”

Describing the competition as “exhilarating,” Sabah said, "I had the privilege to connect and network with like-minded individuals from around Egypt and felt proud to be part of the hosting University. It was definitely challenging to have a purely technical pitch in 90 seconds, but the support of the ASME team overall helped me develop this new key skill."

The first in Africa and largest in the MENA region, ASME EFx brought together young and aspiring engineers across Egypt to learn, compete and network with their peers and industry leaders under the theme of "climate crisis and sustainable development." Salah El Haggar, professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, presented a keynote speech on sustainable development. The conference also hosted panel discussions and other competitions, such as the Green Energy Spirit contest, which required teams to design and build remote-controlled vehicles powered by solar and wind energy.

Do we know why this attack happened?

Siam: Shark attacks can either be provoked or unprovoked by humans. The provoked shark attack occurs when the human attempts to touch the shark in some way. I have limited information about this particular incident besides the circulating videos, but it appears as an unprovoked shark attack on a swimmer.

Are unprovoked attacks common?

Siam: According to the 2022 Florida Museum of Natural History’s International Shark Attack File report, unprovoked shark attacks in swimmers are more common than provoked attacks, yet are declining worldwide.

Why would a shark attack a human if we aren’t a part of their natural diet?

Siam: The reason for a provoked shark attack is simple: The shark is using an aggressive self-defense response to a perceived human attack. The reasons behind unprovoked shark attacks are still not totally understood, but one theory is mistaken identity. 

What is mistaken identity theory?

Siam: According to this theory, sharks may occasionally mistake humans for their natural prey, such as pinnipeds (seals or sea lions). This misidentification can occur due to factors like visual similarities or the way humans move in the water, particularly when engaging in activities like surfing. Surfers, for example, are known to be at a higher risk of shark attacks by certain species, such as white sharks, due to their resemblance to pinnipeds in the water. 

Do humans have any influence on shark behavior?

Siam: Overfishing significantly impacts shark-human interaction because it can lead to a decline in shark populations, cause changes in the behavior and distribution patterns of sharks, deplete the populations of their prey species, and reduce habitat quality and overall ecological degradation. These combined lead to an imbalance in the food chain and ecosystem disruption and an increase in the likelihood of shark-human interactions, including instances of accidental or mistaken encounters. Additionally, discarding food in the water can cause problems. 

How does discarding food affect the sharks?

El Sayed Aly: Research has shown that sewage and organic matter dumped from boats can trigger the sharks' feeding behavior. The sharks seem to think of divers nearby as competing with them for this potential meal. 

Siam: This article discusses discarding food in a marine ecosystem which can create a concentrated food source in the water, which may lure sharks closer to human-populated areas. Note that when sharks encounter an abundant and easily accessible food source, they may exhibit changes in their natural behavior. 

Why was the shark from the Hurghada attack embalmed?

El Sayed Aly: From what I understand, the shark was embalmed and the organs were conserved in order to do more research on the specimen as there is a severe lack of research on sharks in the Red Sea. 

This is the second shark attack in Hurghada in the last year. Are these attacks a sign of a growing trend or just isolated tragedies?

Siam: It is difficult to make the assumption that there's a growing trend without appropriate studies. It is likely that more studies and more reporting and publicity on shark attacks are occurring.  It is reported that the average number of unprovoked shark attacks is less than 80 worldwide, so it is quite small when you compare this to the number of swimmers or divers. 

How many deaths are shark attacks responsible for?

Siam: Shark attacks are responsible for only one in over 4 million deaths annually, compared to death from heart disease, one in five; or car accidents, one in 84. Yet, when it happens it is a tragedy and hence causes such a panic.

Is there anything we can do to  prevent these attacks?

Siam: The International Shark Attack File published by Florida Museum has advice for swimmers, such as not swimming with a bleeding wound, and advice for divers, such as backing up against reefs and avoiding highly contrasting swimwear to reduce shark attacks. 

Governments can work to improve their shark management. 

What do you mean by shark management?

Siam: The idea behind shark management is to decrease shark-human interaction, and hence shark attacks, while protecting sharks and other marine animals. Surveillance and detection, education and community awareness, professional deployment of nets and shark listening stations are different management strategies to minimize such incidents.     

Could you give me an example of one of these strategies?

Siam: In New South Wales, Australia they have implemented a "shark meshing" program, where nets were placed on more than 50 beaches to reduce the chances of shark-human interaction. This measure has been proven to decrease the incidence of shark-human interaction (attacks) in Australia. Another option is establishing a “Coastal Shark Management Zone.”

El Sayed Aly: Training for boat captains and skippers working in shark sites about proper sewage disposal and fishing techniques can help reduce the human impact on shark feeding behavior.

What is a coastal shark management zone?

Siam: It is a type of human-wildlife conflict mitigation, where designating areas and measures are put in place to minimize shark-human interactions, particularly in areas with high tourism or recreational activities. This may involve as described above monitoring and surveillance programs, public awareness campaigns, or implementing exclusion zones. For sharks, this would be considered a coastal shark management zone. 

Could these measures stop shark attacks completely?

Siam: There are no programs that can eliminate shark-human interaction, but these measures will reduce the risk of an interaction.