China joins global effort to ensure COVID vaccine access for all

 By Masood Sattar Khan

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

China has placed itself among three additional countries to have signed on to a global initiative aimed at ensuring fair and equitable access to a coronavirus vaccine once developed, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), a UN specialized agency. 

Together with South Korea and the tiny Pacific island of Nauru, China joined the COVAX Facility this week, bringing the total number of participating nations and economies to 171, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has announced during his regular media briefing in Geneva on the pandemic. 

“The world is eagerly anticipating the results of trials of vaccines against COVID-19, which are needed for WHO authorization. Once we have an effective vaccine, we must also use it effectively, and the best way to do that is by making sure it’s available to all countries equitably through the COVAX Facility,” Tedros said. 

The global mechanism will work to deliver two billion doses by the end of next year. It currently has the largest portfolio of potential vaccines, with several in advanced human trials. 

“The more countries that participate in the COVAX Facility, the greater opportunity of being able to roll out vaccines as rapidly as possible, as fairly as possible, to reduce the risk of severe COVID disease globally,” Dr. Bruce Aylward, Senior WHO Advisor, added.

Coronavirus Update: Spike halted?

 By Mukhtar Alam

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Though there was an impression that cases of COVID-19 were on increase again in Sindh, the authorities on October 10. confirmed an almost 50% decrease in number of samples tested for the virus across the province during the last 24 hours.

The Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah, in his COVID-19 status statement, revealed that as many as 7,515 suspected samples were examined at different laboratories by October 10 morning, against the collective daily maximum capacity of 14,940 tests. 

No reason was given for the reduced testing activities, while the daily new infection rate remained static around 3%. 

The designated COVID-19 testing services had handled 11,138 samples during the 24 hours ending on October 9 morning, out of which 376 (3.37%) were found positive for the lethal virus. 

According to the chief minister’s statement, as many as six new relevant fatalities were registered on October 10, while the number of patients actively suffering from the virus stood at 4,787, out of which 4,491 were in home-isolation, six in the isolation centre, while only 289 were hospitalized, including 187 those undergoing the critical phase of their health and 32 put on ventilators. 

As far as the breakdown of 221new cases were concerned, Karachi headed the table once with 59 cases (27%) followed by Hyderabad (11), Jamshoro (8), Larkana (5), Sukkur (5), Ghotki (3), Mirpurkhas (3), Shaheed Benazirabad (2), Tando Mohammad Khan (2), Jacobabad (2), Dadu (1), Umerkot (1) and others. 

Of the laboratories designated for the coronavirus detection at Karachi, five each from the private and public sector facilities conducted 3,075 tests during the last 24 hours, against 4,440 samples examined by two public sector laboratories at Hyderabad and Larkana. 

According to official reports, six deaths registered by Sindh on October 10 included five from Karachi and one from Shaheed Benazirabad. It was learnt that the two persons who lost their lives due to the virus infection on October 9 belonged to Karachi while two of the eight people, who expired on October 8, were reported receiving treatment at homes.

Dream book ‘Mayar-e-Zindagi’ brightens Paramount’s Online Book Fair

 By Abdul Qadir Qureshi

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Jumbo Publishing’s recently published dream book ‘Mayar-e-Zindagi’ happens to be a star attraction in the Online Book Fair 2020 being organized by Paramount Books, the market leaders in bookselling industry of Pakistan. 

The ongoing event, having started on October 9, will continue until October 18. ‘Mayar-e-Zindagi’ is a compilation of articles and write-ups authored by the Lahore-based Asma Hassan, who has been launched as an author by Jumbo Publishing, having the reputation of promoting and supporting budding intellectuals besides working with the literary bigwigs. 

‘Mayar-e-Zindagi’ is a kind of book which will captivate the readers with its subjects which they come across in day to day life routinely.

It’s quite refreshing to go through the observations of a young writer who has also offered possible solutions for the problems which keep confronting people of all ages. 

‘Mayar-e-Zindagi’ has been very rightly classified in the sociology section by Paramount Books and, as it could be seen on the website, it’s probably the only such book in its category available in Urdu at the moment. 

‘Mayar-e-Zindagi’ has already been acclaimed for its name, the eye-catching painting from promising artist Beenish Khalid on the cover page, and the contents. 

The hardbound book, having a retail price of Rs 495 in Pakistan, is available for Rs 446 during the ongoing Paramount’s Online Book Fair which can be accessed by clicking www.paramountbooks.com.pk 

Once reaching the website of Paramount Books, one can find a huge number of titles, besides Asma Hassan’s Mayar-e-Zindagi, on every conceivable subject and the attraction of generous discounts during the Online Book Fair should make it one of the most visited portals during the next one week or so.