Coronavirus Update: Infection rate rising

By Mukhtar Alam
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Amidst fears that coronavirus situation might worsen further in the country, Sindh recorded its average daily infection rates increased to 13.19%, with five more deaths in the province on April 21. 

According to the latest figures shared by the Sindh health department, 28,247 tests have been conducted to detect coronavirus cases since February 26, when Sindh and Pakistan confirmed its first COVID-19 case. The overall infection came as 10.80% in the province on April 21 while the average daily infection rate ranged from 10 to 12% during the week. 

Sindh reported a total 289 new infections, including 224 in Karachi, on April 21. The highest number of confirmed corona cases for a day remained 340, recorded on April 16. 

The disturbing development was that the province failed to see a decline in the death toll, which was unchanged at five like that of April 20. According to data released on April 21 at 8 am, four men aged 60, 72, 60 and 70 years, respectively, lost their lives in Karachi, while another man of 61 years expired at Sukkur, which had 349 coronavirus infected people. 

The overall death rate came as 2.16 per hundred patients, as 66 deaths occurred among 3,052 infected persons across the province. Karachi reported 61 deaths, followed by Hyderabad (3) and Sukkur (2). 

According to the official data, 224 new corona positive cases were found in Karachi, followed by Khairur (25 new cases), Hydearbad (12), Larkana (11), Badin (5), Sujawal (3), Tando Mohammad Khan (3), Shaheed Benazirabad (2), while Dadu, Kashmore, Umerkot and Shikarpur reported one new corona case each on April 21. 

Meanwhile, the General Secretary of the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA), Dr S M Qaiser Sajjad, appeared anxious, stating that everybody should take extra preventive measures to avoid COVID-19. 

“The PMA is worried for the cases of coronavirus may increase geometrically in the second and third week of May in the country,” he feared. 

He said that the burden on hospitals, doctors, nurses and paramedics would increase and as such it was a matter of concern for the association too that how the situation could be handled.