Let s give a warm welcome to the 24 teams participating in the Under-20 World Cup. We wish each and every one of you the best of luck. And don t worry. In Egypt, swine flu is under control.
Some of you might have had doubts about coming to Egypt in the wake of H1N1 but rest assured. There s nothing to worry about here.
We have recorded only 886 cases of swine flu, 784 of which have fully recovered. Only two Egyptians have died from swine flu as opposed to 550 deaths, 8,800 hospitalizations and one million illnesses in the United States since the disease was first discovered in April. The fatality rate of the virus worldwide is 0.9 per cent whereas the percentage in Egypt is 0.2. So have no fear.
Egypt has stockpiled five million packs of Tamiflu, the drug used to treat swine flu, and signed deals to receive 10 million additional doses in the coming months. In October, 80,000 packets are due to be delivered, an additional two million in January, with the rest arriving in March. As you can see, there s no need to panic.
We extended our school and university summer vacation for one week to ensure every teaching establishment is ready to combat swine flu when the academic year begins. We increased the number of medical officers at all of the country s entrance points. We are being told by our TV day and night not to get too close to people, to wash our hands frequently and not sneeze or cough into other faces. We are ready to prevent Egyptians by the tens of thousands from journeying to Saudi Arabia for the pilgrimage at the end of November if we feel such a mass gathering of humanity could bring a new influx of carriers. We even slaughtered all our 300,000 pigs even though that was totally unnecessary. We are doing everything we can and shouldn t do to protect our citizens and guests.
If after all this, you think you have contracted swine flu, call the 105 hotline. An operator will direct you to any one of six governmental hospitals in the Cairo area that tests and treats swine flu for free.
It s true that concerns about swine flu prompted CONCACAF to cancel the rest of its under-17 soccer championship in Mexico, the epicenter of the outbreak, but that was at the beginning of the scare, when the world was waylaid by H1N1. Today, we know better. Our football league is into its fifth week and the stadiums are packed. Didn t you see 80,000 people, including our president, prime minister and the head of FIFA, turn up for the opening game of the U-20 championship between Egypt and Trinidad and Tobago in Borg Al-Arab Stadium in Alexandria? Do you think they would have gone had there been the slightest risk of catching swine flu?
Just in case, during the U-20, health precautions against swine flu have been taken, including six ambulances on alert in each stadium and the setting up of a communication network with various hospitals.
Perhaps some of us have stopped hugging and kissing after a goal is scored but note: With regard to Zamalek, one of our biggest football teams, the point is mute. Their paucity of goals is ensuring very little celebratory gestures.
If anything, we say to our footballers coming from abroad that you could be at risk from your own teammates. You spend a lot of time together, and remember, football players are not famous for their cleanliness – the spread of bacterial infections is a noted locker room problem. And the idea of staying home or in a hotel with flu symptoms doesn t fit the sport s tough culture image. Full participation is equated with not letting the team down.
In the end, even if things do start to get out of hand here in Egypt, swine flu cases are not expected to peak before November. By then, dear foreign footballers, since the U-20 will end on Oct. 16, you would have been long gone.
