Coronavirus Update: Infections surge in Karachi again

By Mukhtar Alam
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Karachi’s daily COVID-19 infection number up surged again on August 12 when authorities confirmed 373 new cases, out of 7,870 samples, with nine more related deaths during the last 24 hours across the province. The new infection rate in the case of Karachi came as 57% of the Sindh’s overall figure on August 12 compared to 47% recorded the preceding day.

The megapolis had registered 201 (67% of Sindh cases) on August 8, which dropped to 103 (34%) on August 9, 83 (33%) on August 10 and 200 (47%) on August 11. 

During the last 24 hours ending on August 12 afternoon 13 COVID laboratories located at Karachi examined 4,357 suspected samples, out of which 373 (9%) were found infected. 

The designated laboratory at Indus Hospital performed the maximum of 1,810 tests, with the infection positivity rate (IPR) of 10%, followed by Chughtai Lab (813 samples, with IPR of 5%), KU-PCMD (431, 3%), AKUH (356, 10%), DUHS Hospital (182, 26%), CHK (167, 7%), SIUT (123, 11%), JPMC (90, 6%) and others. 

In the meantime, according to an official report, COVID-19 testing laboratories collectively utilized 67% of their maximum testing capacity of 14,940 on August 11. 

The Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah, in his COVID-19 statement of August 12, revealed that the provincial tally of infection deaths had reached to 2297 as nine more patients lost their lives across the province.

No breakdown of districts and hospitals where the patients died or any details about gender and age of the patients were given in the statement, however.

According to him, 4,460 were receiving treatment for the infection in the province on August 12, including 394 at hospitals, eight at isolation centres and 4,258 at homes, of which 208 were in critical condition, while 40 were given the ventilator intervention.

The district-wise breakdown of patients for August 12 came as: Karachi (211 new cases), Hyderabad (18), Jacobabad (12), Badin (12), Sukkur (10), Kambar Shadadkot (9), Tando Mohammad Khan (9), Shaheed Benazirabad (8), Tando Allahyar (8), Larkana (7), Umerkot (7), Mirpurkhas (6), Shikarpur (5), Thatta (5), Matiari (4), Khairpur (2), Dadu (1), Ghotki (1) and Sanghar (1).

Meanwhile, eight patients who died on August 11 included seven from Karachi and one from Hyderabad. Two of the patients in question lost their lives at homes, according to an official report. 

As of August 11, as many as 16,599 people were living with COVID-19 in the country, including 4,629 from Sindh.