Special Assistant to Prime Minister on National Health Services Dr Zafar Mirza on Saturday said that the coronavirus caseload in Pakistan has crossed 1,400, with death ratio from the disease at 0.78% only.
In a televised daily briefing on COVID-19, Dr Mirza said total 11 deaths have been reported from the disease so far while seven patients are in a critical condition. He said 25 patients have recovered so far. He said over 7,000 people are living in different quarantine centres in provinces while as many 725 confirmed patients are admitted to various hospitals.
He said that with the passage of time, concerns among people are increasing about having coronavirus and many have started influencing health officials for conducting their tests. He, however, said that there is no need for every citizens to undergo such tests. He said that there is huge burden on 14 diagnostic laboratories and asked the citizens to follow the advisory of the Ministry of National Health Services regarding identification of those people who should conduct their PCR test.
Sharing details, he said only those people are being given priority who experience shortness of breath or related diseases and have spent time with the confirmed patient or spent time in affected countries.
He said those who are admitted in hospitals with fever and respiratory infection are with weak immune system like having chronic diseases or HIV/AIDS or old-age people. He said those people will also be eligible for tests who have breath shortness issue and they have been playing a leading role in dealing with coronavirus patients, like health workers. He said those serious admitted patients in the hospitals with no disease identification will also be on the priority list.
He said second group which will be given priority includes confirmed coronavirus patients, particularly those suffering from other diseases like diabetes, heart disease, lungs issues or pregnancy, etc. He said the third category includes public sector staffers who are engaged in monitoring of suspected patients at quarantine centres, connected with coronavirus patients or engaged in coronavirus research.
He said that a detailed discussion was held and strategy was made to plan priority people for offering test facility rather than consuming testing kits on irrelevant people just for their satisfaction in this critical time. He said the advisory was made in consultation with all relevant stakeholders and experts of infectious diseases.
He said in simple fever, many people start considering themselves as confirmed coronavirus patients which is not appropriate. He asked the citizens to change this attitude and avoid seeking unnecessary favours for conducting their tests.
