Covid-19’s fifth Wave to Hit in the Mid of February, Alerts NHS
by Hamna Bano
SHARES
Officials have cautioned the citizens to stay alert. There has been a surge in Covid cases already observed in Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad. So far 75 cases have been reported all over Pakistan infected by the Variant of Concern (VoC).
Pakistan may experience the fifth wave of Covid-19 in the mid of February 2022 with daily detection of around 3,000-4,000 cases per day as community transmission of #Omicron variant or Coronavirus has started in the major cities of #Pakistan. https://t.co/f1yysJSiPq
— Asad Ali Toor (@AsadAToor) December 29, 2021
An executive of the NHS (National Health Services) said, “there is a fear of growing Covid-19 cases all over Pakistan. This is because of the peak seen in the number of cases in the big cities of Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad.”
According to a report of NIH (National Institute of Health), The 75 cases that have been confirmed include 33 in Karachi, 17 cases in Islamabad, and 13 in Lahore. Out of all the first one got detected in Karachi on December 13, 2021.
Another very alarming situation has been registered by NHS officials. It has been said that the Omicron variant tests positive in people with no symptoms. This shows the silent spread of this variant. With that, there are very few labs that can catch the variant’s positivity without the symptoms being shown. Only the suspected cases are being forwarded to the National Institute of Health Islamabad and Agha Khan Hospital for verification utilizing Whole Genome Sequencing.
“There is a total of 7 to 8 labs in Pakistan that can capture the mutations in the variant detecting it as Omicron Variant. This is the probable reason why there is a very small number of cases reported”, the officials further warned.
To an inquiry, an official of NHS said that there are chances that the Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccinations might prevent the citizens from getting the variant. Also, with the ‘preexxiting non-specific immunity’ Pakistanis can prevent themselves from the virus.
