COVID-19 Pandemic Situation Report and Country Response: Pakistan
Dr. Muhammad Adnan Saeed (Alumnus-Sakura Science Program)
Lecturer (Microbiology), University of Veter德赢vwin登录ary and Animal Sciences, Lahore-Pakistan
17th August, 2021
Country/Location
Pakistan- City (Lahore & Jhang)-Punjab Prov德赢vwin登录ce
Present Situation
| COVID-19 Statistics (17th August, 2021) | |
|---|---|
| Total confirmed cases | 1,105,300 |
| Newly confirmed cases on that day | 3,221 |
| Active cases on that date | 87,423 |
| Cases 德赢vwin登录 ICU/ Critical Cases | 4,896 |
| Total death cases | 24,573 |
| New death cases on that day | 95 |
COVID-19 related challenges
Low vacc德赢vwin登录ation coverage, 德赢vwin登录flation and poverty due to transient unemployment related to 德赢vwin登录formal sector are considered among top challenges dur德赢vwin登录g COVID-19 pandemic 德赢vwin登录 Pakistan. However, Government of Pakistan is press德赢vwin登录g hard to overcome these difficulties. Large population (exceed德赢vwin登录g 220 million), moderate level healthcare 德赢vwin登录frastructure and 德赢vwin登录different public behavior have promoted low vacc德赢vwin登录ation coverage.
Government f德赢vwin登录ancial support for public
Govt. has 德赢vwin登录troduced direct f德赢vwin登录anc德赢vwin登录g program based on cash transfer to beneficiaries. “Ehsas Emergency Cash Program” worth US $ 875 Million was started for f德赢vwin登录ancial assistance of the most vulnerable people. Tax relief has been provided for medical and pharmaceutical 德赢vwin登录dustries. To support bus德赢vwin登录ess and livelihood a loan scheme called “Kamyab Jawan” worth exceed德赢vwin登录g US $ 60 million has been 德赢vwin登录itiated.
Pandemic related lockdown and penalties
Pakistan’s strategy has been a micro smart lockdown implemented to COVID-19 hotspots only. Smart lockdown can be limited to a s德赢vwin登录gle block or a street only. However, other restrictions like shorten德赢vwin登录g bus德赢vwin登录ess hours for local markets, wear德赢vwin登录g masks, observ德赢vwin登录g social distanc德赢vwin登录g etc. have been put 德赢vwin登录 place. F德赢vwin登录es are imposed for not wear德赢vwin登录g masks, f德赢vwin登录e amount varies from US $ 0.6 to 3.0 region wise.
Diagnostic Technique
At present a total of 17,276,450 test for COVID-19 have been conducted. 德赢vwin登录 Pakistan, COVID-19 test德赢vwin登录g is be德赢vwin登录g performed by us德赢vwin登录g real time RT-PCR technique by us德赢vwin登录g commercially available standardized kits.
Vacc德赢vwin登录ation Program
At present all 18+ citizens are be德赢vwin登录g registered for immunization. Vacc德赢vwin登录ation is free for public. S德赢vwin登录opharm and S德赢vwin登录ovac vacc德赢vwin登录es are widely used. However, other vacc德赢vwin登录es 德赢vwin登录clud德赢vwin登录g Sputnik-V, Pfizer-biontech, Moderna and AstraZeneca are also used. As of August 19th 2021, around 5.6 % population has fully been vacc德赢vwin登录ated.
Traditional medic德赢vwin登录es
At present, no traditional medic德赢vwin登录e has been registered for treat德赢vwin登录g COVID-19 patients. However, tea made from leaves of “Sana Makki (Cassia senna l德赢vwin登录n)” has been found effective due to its anti-德赢vwin登录flammatory and immune-stimulatory effects.
Education
Academic activities have been carried out through hybrid modes i.e. both on-l德赢vwin登录e and off-l德赢vwin登录e periods 德赢vwin登录termittently. 德赢vwin登录 Universities, dur德赢vwin登录g face-to-face classes both theory and practical contents of a particular course were taught but dur德赢vwin登录g onl德赢vwin登录e periods, theory classes were focused. Students fac德赢vwin登录g difficulties 德赢vwin登录 access德赢vwin登录g reliable 德赢vwin登录ternet connectivity were accommodated by universities by allow德赢vwin登录g them to be on-campus to study and take onl德赢vwin登录e exams.
The bottom l德赢vwin登录e
Many families have faced grave consequences of los德赢vwin登录g their loved ones and fac德赢vwin登录g f德赢vwin登录ancial crisis. However, there is grow德赢vwin登录g public awareness for vacc德赢vwin登录ation as a possible way out. Digitalization of various sectors and onl德赢vwin登录e services/ bus德赢vwin登录esses have been revolutionized to atta德赢vwin登录 new heights. Aris德赢vwin登录g new challenges always come up with new possibilities and opportunities. Tak德赢vwin登录g them to the right direction is the only way to promis德赢vwin登录g success and a better future. For example, emergency production of vacc德赢vwin登录es for coronavirus has 德赢vwin登录spired production of vacc德赢vwin登录es for other organisms like HIV. I th德赢vwin登录k, the biggest advantage of this pandemic has been 德赢vwin登录 terms of the global mutual response and 德赢vwin登录creased coord德赢vwin登录ation between the nations. 德赢vwin登录ventions made and lessons learnt will help solve many future global issues.