Coronavirus Update: Sindh’s cases fluctuate

 By Mukhtar Alam

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Sindh, with its fluctuating daily COVID-19 infection rates, registered three of the four related deaths reported in the country on September 21 when authorities here confirmed 296 new infections, out of 15,211 samples, during the last 24 hours.

Pakistan’s fourth COVID-19 fatality of the day was reported from Punjab, which had 59 new cases on September 21. 

Sindh registered an average 284 cases daily during the week till September 21. 

The daily new case numbers ranged from 227 to 341, while its total positive case tally came as 134,243. 

The Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah, in his statement related to the COVID-19 status, shared that as many as 128,494 patients had recovered from the diseases, while 3,286 more, including 2,930 in home isolation, five in isolation centres and 351 in hospitals, were receiving treatment for the disease. 

He further stated that condition of 175 patients was stated critical while 20 were put on ventilators, as of September 21. 

According to official data, six districts of Karachi division reported 143 new cases, followed by Badin (25), Hyderabad (5), Matiari (4), Shikarpur (3), Sanghar (2), Shaheed Benazirabad (2), Umerkot (2), Dadu (2), Jacobabad (2), Larkana (1) and Sukkur (1).

The fluctuation in cases, particularly in the province of Sindh, has caused alarms and people have been under some kind of pressure in performing their duties at a time when almost every business activity has resumed.

Phase 3 trials for COVID-19 vaccine start in Pakistan

 By Masood Sattar Khan

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), on September 22, has announced the launch of phase 3 clinical trials in Pakistan for a potential vaccine being developed by China’s CanSino Biologics for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). 

The trials for the first couple of phases for the vaccine were held in China. Pakistan, under a public-private partnership between the National Institute of Health (NIH) and CanSino, is among the countries which will carry out Phase 3, the NCOC declared. 

The NIH Executive Director, Maj Gen Aamer Ikram, and the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health, Dr Faisal Sultan, during their joint press conference, described the trial as an important step in which the Pakistanis will also be taking part.

“The entire world is looking towards a vaccine right now. There are seven vaccines for which trials are being conducted, three of them developed in China. This CanSino vaccine is based on recombinant technology in which an adino-vector is made deficient. The virus vector and cell culture has been procured from Canada," Maj Gen Aamer Ikram remarked. 

Meanwhile the Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Minister, Asad Umar, also shared information on the subject. “Just launched the phase 3 trials for COVID-19 vaccine in Pakistan. Vaccine has been developed by a Chinese company. A total of 40,000 people will participate in this trial in seven countries, of which 8 to 10,000 will be Pakistanis. Initial results expected in 4 to 6 months,” he tweeted.

Coronavirus Update: Karachi registers 70% of Sindh infections

 By Mukhtar Alam 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Karachi division recorded 70% of the new COVID-19 cases detected across the province of Sindh on September 20 when one more patient was reported expired due to the virus during the last 24 hours.

Official reports revealed that in all 321 new cases were registered in 18 districts during the last 24 hours ending September 20 morning, with an overall daily infection rate of 2.43%, against 1.83% calculated on September 19. 

According to official COVID-19 data, Karachi registered an average 157 new cases every day during the week ending September 20. 

Its share in the total new cases reported across the province remained 53% on September 17, which increased up to 73% by September 19. 

Karachi’s different districts have so far added 86,512 COVID-19 cases to the overall Sindh’s tally, including the maximum 25852 from East district where a total 684 patients lost their lives due to the diseases in hospitals and homes, so far. 

The Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah, in his statement related to COVID-19 status, shared that the new cases were found out of 13,198 samples, pushing the overall number of infections to 133,947 for the province. 

He informed that 2,793 infected persons were at present isolated in homes, while five at the isolation centres and 282 at various hospitals, including 179 critically ill patients, with another 168 people having recovered from the diseases during the last 24 hours. 

The reports said that 24 patients were receiving the ventilator intervention at various hospitals, including six at AKUH, five at CHK, four each at the Infectious Diseases Hospital and Research centre and Indus Hospital Karachi, on September 20. 

The new solitary fatality was reported from Badin which has registered a total 12 COVID-19 deaths, while there are still 152 active patients in the district. Earlier, Badin had reported one death, along with Karachi (three deaths), on September 18. 

The district wise breakdown of new infection remained as: Karachi (225), Dadu (97), Tando Allahyar (7), Hyderabad (6), Thatta (5), Jamshoro (5), Badin (3), Sujawal (3), Matiari (3), Tando Mohammad Khan (3), Larkana (2), Mirpurkhas (1), Shaheed Benazirabad (1) and others. 

In the meantime, an official summary related to samplings done in different targeted areas revealed the highest rate of COVID-19 infection, two percent, was found among people visiting shrines and attending urs/mela (congregations).