Morocco Updates COVID-19 Protocols as Deaths Rise, Health Ministry Reports

The Ministry of Health acknowledged that the increase in deaths and the number of Covid-19 cases is explained by the patient management protocol in force until now, reports Al Massae. To reverse the trend, it has decided to change the patient management protocol and revise the therapeutic protocol. A circular has thus been addressed to the directors of university hospital centers.

By updating the patient management protocol, the department of Khalid Ait Taleb intends not only to reduce the time for treatment to be as fast as possible, but also to improve the conditions of patient care. The definitions of coronavirus infection cases have also been updated. The protocol designates any person presenting signs of acute respiratory infection (cough, sore throat, difficulty breathing...) with or without fever, or a fever greater than or equal to 38°C not explained by another obvious etiology and accompanied by myalgia or headache as likely to be infected.

Similarly, any death that has occurred without an obvious cause, after a respiratory distress syndrome and following contact with a probable or confirmed case, is considered a "possible case". The circular specifies that SARS-CoV-2 infection is confirmed by a molecular diagnostic technique (RT-PCR or other similar technique).

The ministry has also updated the therapeutic protocol. The recovery criteria have been updated. From now on, an asymptomatic confirmed case can only be declared cured after 7 days of treatment without the appearance of any symptom suggestive of the disease. A symptomatic case, on the other hand, can be declared cured at the end of the 10-day treatment period, after the disappearance of any clinical sign and fever for 3 consecutive days.