The number of Covid-19 cases in the world has crossed 1.5 million with the United States and the United Kingdom suffering the highest number of deaths in a single day since the outbreak began. Global deaths due to the virus have surged past 88,000 while recoveries stand at over 330,000.
The speed of coronavirus deaths has shocked doctors as New York toll hits new high. Both USA and Spain are approaching a bleak 15,000 fatality mark surpassed only by Italy that has reported nearly 18,000 deaths so far. With almost 11,000 and 7,000 deaths respectively, France and UK are also scrambling to contain the pandemic and its deadly impact. Iran’s toll has also crossed the 4,000 mark as the virus shows no signs of abating there too.
Pakistan Covid-19 cases have exceeded 4,330 with 63 deaths reported so far. The fatality rate, however, is not as high in Pakistan or other less developed countries of South Asia and Africa as it is in some of the most developed economies. Experts are finding out whether the TB vaccine is the reason behind Covid-19’s less deadly effect is the underdeveloped world.
Here are the latest updates:
A 5-month-old girl from Nagar Khas, Gilgit Baltistan, has become Pakistan’s youngest Coronavirus patient who has won her battle against the disease that has wreaked devastation across the globe.
According to a local news outlet, the young patient was tested positive for Coronavirus along with her mother after persistent symptoms of the disease.
Health authorities transferred both mother and daughter to the isolation center and kept them separate for more than 2 weeks during the treatment.
Read the full story here.
SAPM on health Dr Zafar Mirza has said while it is true to some extent that Pakistan has lesser coronavirus cases and a lower death rate than projected by experts, it is not a reason for citizens to become lax.
According to him, the government’s containment measures also had a role to play in the infection rate. He stressed that social distancing and other preventive measures repeatedly communicated are to be ensured at all levels.
Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has reportedly approved the use of passive immunization technique to treat COVID-19 patients in the country.
Dr. Tahir Shamsi, head of the National Institute of Blood Diseases (NIBD) Karachi, has actively advocated for employing passive immunization technique to treat Coronavirus patients since the first case of the disease was reported in Pakistan.
Read the full piece here.
Seven members of a family in Sindh have tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
CM Murad Ali Shah has reiterated the need for citizens to practice social distancing as the cases of local transmission continue to see a spike.
Out of the 282 zaireen kept in the DI Khan quarantine set up at Gomal Medical College, 253 have already completed their isolation and returned home.
According to DC DI Khan, the remaining 29 people will also soon return to their homes as their quarantine period completes.
After seven new recoveries were reported from Islamabad on Thursday, the national recovery tally has climbed to 689.
The Aga Khan University has launched a new mobile app dubbed ‘CoronaCheck’ that allows people to easily and safely evaluate their symptoms with an in-home screening tool.
Moreover, the application provides information on the World Health Organization and the Ministry of National Health Services, that recommend:
Apart from helping people understand whether they are infected or not, the application is also developed to tackle myths, misconceptions, and an increasing amount of unverified information.
Read full piece here.
What seemed like just another disease has turned into a global pandemic and the world is reeling.
An interim economic assessment by OECD shows that the global GDP has dropped to 2.4 percent from what was already a non-spectacular 2.9 percent in 2019. This rapid downward trend will possibly continue for the 3rd quarter of 2020 or at least until the virus is completely eradicated.
How are various global industries doing meanwhile? Let’s have a look.
Another coronavirus death has been confirmed in Sindh taking the provincial toll to 21 and the national toll to 64.
The new death was reported in Karachi.
Pakistan’s national coronavirus tally has risen to 4,437 with new cases reported in AJK, Balochistan, and Sindh.
As many as 92 new cases were reported in Sindh alone with its provincial tally reading 1,128 now. CM Sindh Murad Ali Shah confirmed the new numbers.
Federal capital authorities have decided that OPDs in the city’s hospital will resume serving citizens. The decision has been made keeping in view the difficulties faced by citizens.
A notification on the matter stresses that hospitals must take all the necessary safety precautions including maintaining social distancing in the OPDs.
Islamabad administration has opened the areas of Bhara Kahu and Shehzad Town in the city that were sealed after coronavirus cases were reported there.
Section 144, however, will still remain in effect in these areas, the administration has said.
The fallout from the coronavirus spread that has killed more than 83,000 people and wreaked havoc on economies around the world could push around half a billion people into poverty, Oxfam said on Thursday.
The report released by the Nairobi-based charity ahead of next week’s International Monetary Fund (IMF)/World Bank annual meeting calculated the impact of the crisis on global poverty due to shrinking household incomes or consumption.
“The economic crisis that is rapidly unfolding is deeper than the 2008 global financial crisis,” the report found.
More than 1,700 people in the US died from COVID-19 on Tuesday, the country’s deadliest day so far during the coronavirus pandemic.
New York City alone made up 731 of those who died, taking the city’s total death toll past 4,000 – surpassing the number killed in the World Trade Centre terror attack of September 11, 2001.
With hospitals in the city pushed to the brink, work began to turn the Cathedral of St John the Divine – the world’s sixth-largest church – into another coronavirus field hospital.
Source: Euronews
Pakistan saw 248 new coronavirus cases yesterday, with another 5 deaths reported across Pakistan. The number is slightly higher than the 208 new cases that were reported a day earlier.
Out of 248 cases, 141 were reported in Punjab, while Sindh saw 50 new cases and KP followed with 31 new coronavirus cases on April 9th, 2020.
With 248 new cases, the growth rate of positive coronavirus cases reached 6.13%, while doubling period stood at 16.28 days.
Read the full report here.
In a bid to curtail the novel coronavirus pandemic, Gilgit will observe a limited 4-hour curfew on Thursday (today) and Friday between 11am and 3pm, Gilgit’s information secretary Shams Mir confirms.
No business or public movement will be allowed during the curfew time.
Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid Ahmad on Wednesday said that the country-wide lock down is unlikely to end on April 14.
Addressing a press conference, the minister said that Pakistan Railways is incurring a loss of more than Rs. 1 billion each week due to the lockdown. “It does not seem the lockdown will ease by April 14. If the lockdown ends and Prime Minister allows, Railways will resume 22 trains”, he said, adding that the freight trains are being operated as planned.
Read full story here.
News footage and photographs of President of Pakistan Dr Arif Alvi wearing an N-95 mask at a meeting sparked serious criticism in the health circles as recently doctors demanding the protective gear in Quetta had been thrashed by the police.
President Alvi has responded by saying that he was re-using the N-95 mask that was given to him in China.
Islamabad has reported 19 new coronavirus cases with its tally now reaching 102.
Confirmed coronavirus cases in Gilgit Baltistan have also risen to 213 with the addition of 2 new cases.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has reported 2 more coronavirus deaths in the province taking the toll to 20.
At least 33 new cases were reported in KP bringing its total to 560, confirmed provincial health and finance minister Taimur Khan Jhagra.
For our coronavirus coverage from April 8, click here.