More than 40 per cent of the UAE’s population has received at least one shot of the coronavirus vaccine, health authorities said on Tuesday.
The Emirates has a target of inoculating 50 per cent of its people by the end of the first quarter.
Health authorities also said that nearly 48.6 per cent of the elderly have received the vaccine.
As of February 16, more than 5.19 million doses have been administered and the rate of doses per 100 people is 52.56, Dr Farida Al Hosani, spokeswoman for the health sector, said at the weekly Covid-19 briefing.
People who become infected with coronavirus after taking their first vaccine should still take the second dose after their recovery, she said.
Dr Al Hosani said the second injection was advised for those who had mild symptoms or remained asymptomatic.
Patients who get sick with severe illness and need hospital treatment should consult a doctor before taking their second dose.
“They should visit a doctor after making a full recovery and get an antibody test done and proceed ahead with the vaccine on a doctor’s recommendation,” she said.
Dr Al Hosani said Sinopharm, Pfizer-BionTech, AstraZeneca and Sputnik vaccines work differently, but all trigger the body’s immune system to fight the virus.
Most have also been found to be effective against the variant strains of coronavirus, but nobody knows for how long the immunity will last, Dr Al Hosani said.
“Antibodies will become less over time but the immune system has memory cells and these cells will remember the components of the vaccine if they contract the virus after a long time,” she said.
The Sinopharm vaccine works using dead viral particles to expose the body's immune system to the virus without risking a reaction. It stimulates the immune system and forms antibodies.
Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine works with RNA technology. This means that part of the gene code is injected into the body, prompting it to start producing s-protein on the shell of the virus that triggers immune response.
Both AstraZeneca and Sputnik V vaccines are based on a viral vector. It is placed on another virus called adenovirus, which is modified and molecules of the emerging coronavirus are added to it. The virus is considered weak but sufficient to produce antibodies.
The country has also carried out more than 28 million tests to detect infections.
UAE medics battling the coronavirus - in pictures
RESULT
Arsenal 1 Chelsea 2
Arsenal: Aubameyang (13')
Chelsea: Jorginho (83'), Abraham (87')
ABU DHABI CARD
5pm: UAE Martyrs Cup (TB) Conditions; Dh90,000; 2,200m
5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Handicap; Dh70,000; 1,400m
6pm: UAE Matyrs Trophy (PA) Maiden; Dh80,000; 1,600m
6.30pm: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak (IFAHR) Apprentice Championship (PA) Prestige; Dh100,000; 1,600m
7pm: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak (IFAHR) Ladies World Championship (PA) Prestige; Dh125,000; 1,600m
8pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Jewel Crown (PA) Group 1; Dh5,000,000; 1,600m
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
The%20Roundup
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How to play the stock market recovery in 2021?
If you are looking to build your long-term wealth in 2021 and beyond, the stock market is still the best place to do it as equities powered on despite the pandemic.
Investing in individual stocks is not for everyone and most private investors should stick to mutual funds and ETFs, but there are some thrilling opportunities for those who understand the risks.
Peter Garnry, head of equity strategy at Saxo Bank, says the 20 best-performing US and European stocks have delivered an average return year-to-date of 148 per cent, measured in local currency terms.
Online marketplace Etsy was the best performer with a return of 330.6 per cent, followed by communications software company Sinch (315.4 per cent), online supermarket HelloFresh (232.8 per cent) and fuel cells specialist NEL (191.7 per cent).
Mr Garnry says digital companies benefited from the lockdown, while green energy firms flew as efforts to combat climate change were ramped up, helped in part by the European Union’s green deal.
Electric car company Tesla would be on the list if it had been part of the S&P 500 Index, but it only joined on December 21. “Tesla has become one of the most valuable companies in the world this year as demand for electric vehicles has grown dramatically,” Mr Garnry says.
By contrast, the 20 worst-performing European stocks fell 54 per cent on average, with European banks hit by the economic fallout from the pandemic, while cruise liners and airline stocks suffered due to travel restrictions.
As demand for energy fell, the oil and gas industry had a tough year, too.
Mr Garnry says the biggest story this year was the “absolute crunch” in so-called value stocks, companies that trade at low valuations compared to their earnings and growth potential.
He says they are “heavily tilted towards financials, miners, energy, utilities and industrials, which have all been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic”. “The last year saw these cheap stocks become cheaper and expensive stocks have become more expensive.”
This has triggered excited talk about the “great value rotation” but Mr Garnry remains sceptical. “We need to see a breakout of interest rates combined with higher inflation before we join the crowd.”
Always remember that past performance is not a guarantee of future returns. Last year’s winners often turn out to be this year’s losers, and vice-versa.
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
The Freedom Artist
By Ben Okri (Head of Zeus)
IPL 2018 FINAL
Sunrisers Hyderabad 178-6 (20 ovs)
Chennai Super Kings 181-2 (18.3 ovs)
Chennai win by eight wickets
PLAY-OFF%20DRAW
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The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
India cancels school-leaving examinations
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
MATCH INFO
Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium, Malayisa
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD
* Second leg in Australia on October 10
