In his second article on Coronavirus in Pakistan, Dr Abdul Nadir recommends urgent actions to protect Pakistan as new cases indicate community transmission is underway. His earlier piece can be read here.
To date more than 500 Corona virus tests have turned positive in Pakistan, up from 50 four days ago on March, 15th. Do we want to sound alarmist? We don’t, but do we not want to do what China, Iran, USA and Italy did by attempting to suppress the news, by downplaying the potential health emergency and now facing the uphill task of getting their resources together to overcome the lethal virus.
The New York ‘s mayor Mr. Cuomo thundered while describing the acute situation in New York due to Corona virus, “You are at a point of deciding, how many people are going to live, how many are going to die?” Now New York state is heading towards a complete shutdown as they keep getting bad news from Italy where physicians are deciding which patient will have the best use of the ventilator and which patient will have to be left alone for the nature to take its course. And the patients do not require ventilator support for a couple of days, it can be weeks and there aren’t enough ventilators available even in the most developed countries.
Let us be honest, the situation on Iran’s Taftan border with Pakistan’s, Baluchistan was mishandled. Thousands of pilgrims returning from Iran to Pakistan were allowed to mingle in small tents with five or more individuals squeezed together who were returning from a Corona virus’s epicenter.
Worse still, many of the pilgrims slipped the border without undergoing any screening process to various parts of Pakistan. As expected and disturbingly, 50% or more of the pilgrims returning from Iran are turning positive for Corona virus.
The horse is out of the barn and Corona has entered the Pakistani borders.
The other source of Coronavirus’s entry in Pakistan is via air travelers from the UK, Middle East and even a country like Syria which has not reported any virus yet! It also has been reported that Corona test is positive among Pakistanis without any travel history leading experts to believe that virus is now spreading indigenously in the country. In other words, the virus from Iran or Europe infected a Pakistani with no travel history who is infecting others! As we have already learned, this virus spreads exponentially, it is dreaded that the numbers in Pakistan can be astronomical in next few weeks. Even the notion that virus may not thrive in summer is looking less plausible.
Corona virus is a serious infection and need to be dealt with as such in Pakistan. We may have to lock down Pakistan earlier than later. If the armed forces of Pakistan can make that happen so be it. Many Pakistani citizens are still taking it lightly not even following the basic tenets of hygiene and social distancing recommended to prevent the virus infection.
China ultimately did well and yesterday as no indigenous Corona virus infection was reported from Wuhan, but the country led by a single party put an iron-clad hold on the population in Wuhan to ensure quarantine is practiced, leading to receding of the virus infection.
The initial measures taken by Pakistani government are working as the closure of institutions is leading to less crowding. To consolidate the initial measures, the airports need to be controlled further, every infected or a potentially infected individual should be chased down and quarantined, public awareness has to be escalated and the policies and procedures created should be implemented by the book.
Death is inevitable, so there shouldn’t be panic, but if common sense prevails, there is still hope that Pakistan can defeat Coronavirus.
To date more than 500 Corona virus tests have turned positive in Pakistan, up from 50 four days ago on March, 15th. Do we want to sound alarmist? We don’t, but do we not want to do what China, Iran, USA and Italy did by attempting to suppress the news, by downplaying the potential health emergency and now facing the uphill task of getting their resources together to overcome the lethal virus.The New York ‘s mayor Mr. Cuomo thundered while describing the acute situation in New York due to Corona virus, “You are at a point of deciding, how many people are going to live, how many are going to die?” Now New York state is heading towards a complete shutdown as they keep getting bad news from Italy where physicians are deciding which patient will have the best use of the ventilator and which patient will have to be left alone for the nature to take its course. And the patients do not require ventilator support for a couple of days, it can be weeks and there aren’t enough ventilators available even in the most developed countries.
Let us be honest, the situation on Iran’s Taftan border with Pakistan’s, Baluchistan was mishandled. Thousands of pilgrims returning from Iran to Pakistan were allowed to mingle in small tents with five or more individuals squeezed together who were returning from a Corona virus’s epicenter.
Worse still, many of the pilgrims slipped the border without undergoing any screening process to various parts of Pakistan. As expected and disturbingly, 50% or more of the pilgrims returning from Iran are turning positive for Corona virus.
The horse is out of the barn and Corona has entered the Pakistani borders.
The other source of Coronavirus’s entry in Pakistan is via air travelers from the UK, Middle East and even a country like Syria which has not reported any virus yet! It also has been reported that Corona test is positive among Pakistanis without any travel history leading experts to believe that virus is now spreading indigenously in the country. In other words, the virus from Iran or Europe infected a Pakistani with no travel history who is infecting others! As we have already learned, this virus spreads exponentially, it is dreaded that the numbers in Pakistan can be astronomical in next few weeks. Even the notion that virus may not thrive in summer is looking less plausible.
Corona virus is a serious infection and need to be dealt with as such in Pakistan. We may have to lock down Pakistan earlier than later. If the armed forces of Pakistan can make that happen so be it. Many Pakistani citizens are still taking it lightly not even following the basic tenets of hygiene and social distancing recommended to prevent the virus infection.
China ultimately did well and yesterday as no indigenous Corona virus infection was reported from Wuhan, but the country led by a single party put an iron-clad hold on the population in Wuhan to ensure quarantine is practiced, leading to receding of the virus infection.
The initial measures taken by Pakistani government are working as the closure of institutions is leading to less crowding. To consolidate the initial measures, the airports need to be controlled further, every infected or a potentially infected individual should be chased down and quarantined, public awareness has to be escalated and the policies and procedures created should be implemented by the book.
Death is inevitable, so there shouldn’t be panic, but if common sense prevails, there is still hope that Pakistan can defeat Coronavirus.