New documents in the case of Wael El Ibrashi's doctor, who is accused of causing his death, have been obtained by Cairo 24. The documents include a statement of approval from the Ministry of Health and Population for Dr. Sherif Abbas, Wael El Ibrashi's physician and a liver specialist, to conduct clinical trials involving the use of the Sofosbuvir drug on patients with the coronavirus.
The document, exclusive to Cairo 24, states that the Ethics Committee of Scientific Research at the Ministry of Health and Population approved the required details from a specialized scientific committee on July 5, 2020, and discussed the scientific research: "Efficacy and safety of sofosbuvir plus daclatasvir or ravidasvir in patients with COVID-19: A randomized controlled trial." This research was registered and is available on a specialized scientific website, Wiley Online Library, dated August 11, 2021, nearly five months ago. The Ethics Committee's approval occurred about a year prior and five months before the same treatment was used on Wael El Ibrashi in December of the same year.
Is this the same trial that was applied to El Ibrashi? In this context, it was essential to ask Dr. Sherif Abbas whether this was the same trial used on Wael El Ibrashi. He confirmed to Cairo 24 that it was indeed the same trial involving the use of the Sofosbuvir drug on the media personality, noting that El Ibrashi was aware of the use of Sofosbuvir to treat him before his hospitalization, specifically on December 25, 2020, after confirming his COVID-19 infection.
Dr. Sherif Abbas added that El Ibrashi was admitted to Sheikh Zayed Specialized Hospital on December 28 due to a significant deterioration in his health, which was largely linked to a severe lung crisis. He indicated that Sofosbuvir does not have any direct effects on the lungs, and that this health crisis was known before starting the use of Sofosbuvir, as a consequence of COVID-19 infection.
What is the story behind the scientific research? According to documents obtained by Cairo 24 regarding the research itself, it was applied in clinical trials involving approximately 120 patients with moderate to severe COVID-19 infections using the antiviral drug Sofosbuvir. The efficacy was evaluated over several days, between 7 to 10 days, where a notable improvement in oxygen saturation was observed by the seventh day. The study also indicated positive trends regarding the drug's effectiveness with a decrease in mortality rates.
The crisis surrounding Wael El Ibrashi's death sparked considerable controversy about a year after his COVID-19 infection. His death triggered a wave of accusations against those responsible for his treatment, including Dr. Sherif Abbas, who confirmed that the same scientific research was used on El Ibrashi in an attempt to improve his deteriorating health condition, which ultimately led to his death due to the effects of post-COVID syndrome.
