Category: Health

The Current a variety of health and wellness blog post ideas, divided into key categories such as nutrition, fitness, mental health, and more.

  • Coronavirus: Antiviral drug to now be sold at Rs9,244 in Pakistan

    Coronavirus: Antiviral drug to now be sold at Rs9,244 in Pakistan

    In a major relief to coronavirus patients, the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) on Monday reduced the price of Remdesivir, the first and only approved treatment for COVID-19 in the United States (US), by Rs1,629 to Rs9,244.

    In a notification, DRAP said that the price of Remdesivir injection has been slashed by Rs1,629, adding that the antiviral drug will be sold at Rs9,244 across the country.

    The regulatory authority warned that strict legal action will be taken against those who are selling the drug at higher prices.

    It is pertinent to mention that remdesivir has reportedly proved effective against the novel coronavirus and the federal cabinet had approved to reduce the price of the antiviral drug last month. In May, US pharmaceutical company Gilead had allowed Pakistan to produce the antiviral drug in the country.

    Meanwhile, COVID-19 cases are once again at rise in the country as 707 new infections were reported across the country on Sunday-Monday, lifting the national tally of infections to 328,602, said the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC).

    Three patients, who were under treatment in hospitals, died during the aforementioned period, according to the latest update shared by the NCOC. The figure of patients recovered from the virus has reached 311,075. There are now nearly 11,000 active cases in the country.

    About 26,492 tests were conducted across the country on Sunday. Around 311,075 people have recovered from the disease so far across Pakistan. Since the pandemic outbreak, a total of 328,602 cases were detected, including Sindh reporting 143,836, Punjab 102,875, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) 39,043, Balochistan, 15,810, Islamabad, 1,902, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) 3,846, and Gilgit Baltistan (GB) has reported 4,180 cases.

    A total of 4,290,545 tests have been conducted so far, while 735 hospitals are equipped with COVID-19 facilities. About 559 patients admitted to hospitals across the country are said to be in critical condition.

    Meanwhile, as many as 71 healthcare staff working at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Islamabad have tested positive for the coronavirus in the past 30 days.

  • Detection of COVID-19 in students adds to second wave fears

    Detection of COVID-19 in students adds to second wave fears

    Two more educational institutions in Islamabad have been sealed by the district health administration after the detection of COVID-19 cases among five students, fueling the outbreak’s second wave fears.

    In August, the government lifted most lockdown restrictions, which had come following a significant drop in new coronavirus cases. Federal Education for Minister Shafqat Mahmood had announced the re-opening of educational institutions on September 4, since when, at least 29 schools, colleges and universities have been sealed in the federal capital alone.

    The cases were reported despite the authorities concerned ensuring that necessary measures were taken ahead of the much-awaited re-opening of educational institutions.

    While it was earlier speculated that coronavirus has ended in Pakistan due to either an effective strategy of the government or multiple other reasons such as herd immunity being achieved, a sudden spike in the number of cases has left experts scratching their heads.

    Amid the rising positivity rate in the country which crossed 2% in September, the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) has expressed concerns over the looming second wave of coronavirus, highlighting the carelessness in the implementation of standard operating procedures (SOPs) in schools and other public spaces.

    Taking to Twitter, Minister for Planning Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar, who also chairs the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) to deal with COVID-19 in the country, has highlighted the rise in the number of infections as well.

    An analysis of previous data shows that since the easing of lockdown restrictions and reopening of education institutions in Pakistan, there has been a steady increase in the number of new COVID-19 cases.

    However, evidence from around the world has shown there is no correlation between students returning to institutions after coronavirus lockdowns and a rise or fall in new infections.

    According to Insights for Education, 52 countries, including France and Spain, actually saw infection rates rise during the holidays. Some, such as Croatia, have seen cases fall after reopening schools.

    Others, like Hungary and Great Britain, have seen a rise since reopening schools, according to the data — based on UNESCO and World Bank figures alongside rigorous daily media scans over the last six months — although the United Kingdom (UK) infection rate was already trending upwards before schools reopened.

    Overall, the picture is so varied that a link between schools and coronavirus transmission cannot be proved, the report suggested. Other factors, including the country’s health system capacity and economic openness and the robustness of its testing and tracing system, must be considered. 

    By the time this report was filed, Sindh had the highest number of infections and deaths in Pakistan — 140,997 and 2,566, respectively — followed by Punjab with 101,237 positive cases and 2,277 deaths.

    The total number of cases in the country stood at 321,218 with 305,395 recoveries.

  • Can passive smoking give you coronavirus?

    With lockdowns being lifted and offices besides all public spaces except wedding halls and educational institutions being re-opened, the threat of a sudden spike in coronavirus infections, despite the continuous drop, has once again risen its ugly head.

    While many people are taking necessary precautions, some are not, owing to which all of us have found ourselves assessing our surroundings and avoiding the virus as much as possible.

    Many amid the prevailing situation, among other things are wondering if one can get COVID-19 from secondhand smoke?

    Here’s what we know…

    Secondhand smoke isn’t believed to directly spread the virus, experts say, but infected smokers may blow droplets carrying the virus when they exhale.

    Being able to smell the smoke might be a red flag that you’re standing too close to the smoker. The respiratory droplets people spray when they talk, cough or sneeze are believed to be the main way the virus spreads. And people also exhale those droplets when smoking, as well as when they’re vaping.

    “Not only are they potentially spreading the virus by not wearing a mask, they are blowing those droplets to the people around them to potentially get infected,” says Dr Albert Rizzo, chief medical officer for the American Lung Association.

    You should steer clear of secondhand smoke regardless. Breathing in secondhand smoke from cigarettes can cause various health problems, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

    By the time this report was filed, the number of coronavirus infections in Pakistan stood at 294,668 with 279,630 recoveries and 6,275 deaths. Sindh continued to have the lead with 128,877 cases with Punjab trailing at 96,540 infections, followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Islamabad with 35,923 and 15,562 cases, respectively.

    The number of infections in Balochistan stood at 12,721 while Gilgit-Baltistan had 2,773 cases and Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJ&K) had 2,272.

  • Lahore-based startup invents affordable, country’s first bloodless dialysis machine

    Lahore-based startup invents affordable, country’s first bloodless dialysis machine

    An American startup based in Lahore has successfully invented Pakistan’s first dialysis machine that would allow kidney patients to receive affordable dialysis treatment at their homes.

    The company has named the machines and it is called “Robo-Kidney,” which will go into mass production after receiving from the healthcare regulators.

    The company has consulted Pakistan’s leading Nephrologists and healthcare professional before making the machine.

    It will not only let the patients get treated at home but will also minimise the risk of contracting hepatitis-C during the traditional dialysis procedure.

    According to the official statement by Byonyks, about 72% of kidney patients in Pakistan get infected with Hepatitis-C that spreads during the conventional dialysis treatment.

    “Robo-Kidney is an affordable and bloodless machine that will allow kidney patients to receive dialysis treatment at their homes”

    The founder of Byonyks, Farrukh Usman

    He added that Robo-Kidney will also ease the burden on national healthcare resources. It will also contribute to Pakistan’s economy through export to international markets.

  • ‘Coronavirus over in Pakistan’: Myth [busted?]

    The nationwide coronavirus lockdown in Pakistan ended on August 10 as the government announced returning to pre-coronavirus life with a few standard operating procedures (SOPs) and social distancing guidelines amid a significant drop in infections and fatalities.

    Previously shut down sectors, including tourism and recreation, food among all other businesses except marriage halls and educational institutions were allowed to re-open and now, despite the passage of nearly two weeks, no prominent increase in COVID-19 cases has been recorded against officials and experts’ predictions in light of Eidul Azha and Independence Day celebrations during which people flouted all guidelines.

    While large gatherings, including religious congregations and family feasts over the Eid weekend, added to the risk of a second wave of the virus in the days to come, a large number of people taking to roads on August 14 to express their love for Pakistan, mistaking the drop in COVID-19 cases for its eradication, did the same. Independence Day was marked by firework displays at midnight in major cities, including Lahore and Karachi, where tens of thousands flooded the roads without face masks or any regard to the SOPs.

    Here is how the pandemic situation turned out from August 1 to August 20 amid the said recklessness of the masses:

    While the country is still at risk owing to the behaviour of the people over Eid and the Independence Day as officials fear it can lead to a sudden spike in COVID-19 cases, some experts believe that herd immunity has been achieved in metropolises like Lahore and Karachi as they were the most affected by the virus when it peaked in June.

    A study conducted in 25 cities shows that almost 11% of Pakistanis have developed protective immunity (antibodies) across the country against COVID-19. The research further says that seropositivity in urban areas is more when compared to rural areas, and a majority of those who came into contact with corona-positive patients are more likely to have developed antibodies.

    While infectious disease experts such as Prof Dr Faisal Mahmood of Aga Khan Hospital say the drop in number of cases is real but the reason that led to it has not yet been ascertained, according to a report by The Telegraph, Pakistan’s young population — two-thirds of its total population is under the age of 30 — can also be a major factor if herd immunity has actually been developed.

    Even though it is too early to be sure about Pakistan’s victory in the battle against COVID-19, the significant drop is a huge achievement. It, however, might not last if people continue flouting social distancing guidelines in the days to come, leading to the second and or even third wave of the pandemic in September.

  • Coronavirus in Pakistan: A July-August diary

    Since the beginning of July, there has been a decline in new coronavirus cases and the number of recovered patients has also increased. By the time this report was filed, there were 26,834 active COVID-19 cases in the country.

    While Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, as well as members of his team and other experts, repeatedly urged people to follow social distancing guidelines and standard operating procedures (SOPs) on Eidul Azha in order to avoid a June-like surge in coronavirus cases in the days to come, people were seen flaunting the same not only over the Eid weekend but also during rallies protesting illegal Indian annexation of held Kashmir on August 5.

    It was reported by Gulf News that the upper class of Karachi completely ignored Sindh government directives by sacrificing animals wherever they wished to despite 500 sites being designated by the provincial administration for the purpose. “Residents in the most expensive and posh neighbourhoods of the city were no exception… officials didn’t make any effort to ensure the people followed the law,” the report said.

    Meanwhile, the Punjab government on August 3 announced to lift the smart lockdown two days ahead of the scheduled date. The government announced to lift all restrictions on the third day of Eid because of a “significant” reduction in coronavirus cases.

    While Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar expressed satisfaction over the observance of SOPs on Eidul Azha, Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar announced on Thursday that restrictions on the hospitality and recreational sectors, put in place nearly five months ago to curb the spread of the coronavirus, would be lifted by August 10.

    Dine-in restaurants, parks, cinemas, tourist spots and salons would be re-opened while marriage halls would remain closed at least until September 15 and the decision to re-open educational institutes would be looked into during the first week of September, he said.

    However, just a day after the announcement, Punjab witnessed a sudden increase in the number of new coronavirus cases. The everyday cases that had on an average dropped to below 100 during the past one month after reaching a new high in June, once again increased to around 300.

    Although some medical experts were not perturbed and declared it a routine surge, others believed that it might be a signal for the beginning of the second wave of the outbreak. Punjab reported 277 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 besides five deaths during the last 24 hours against 235 a day earlier, Dawn reported.

    Besides the lifting of lockdown restrictions for the economy’s sake in July, the surge is also being attributed to the fact that next to none social distancing guidelines were followed during the preparations and hosting of seminars and rallies to mark ‘Youme Istehsal [Exploitation Day]’ on the first anniversary of Narendra Modi-led India’s annexation of occupied Kashmir.

    Even though the coronavirus situation in Pakistan is getting better on paper, how the pandemic turns out over the next few days is subject to the behaviour of the masses and the policies of the government.

  • The Current Data: Province-wise breakdown of COVID-19 and how the numbers have dropped

    The Current Data: Province-wise breakdown of COVID-19 and how the numbers have dropped

    Before stepping down as the special assistant to Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan on health, Dr Zafar Mirza, who spearheaded Pakistan’s fight against coronavirus, said that all estimates made by international organisations regarding COVID-19 in Pakistan proved to be wrong and the world was acknowledging the government’s efforts as well as the decline in infections in Pakistan. 

    On July 27, he shared the “good news” that the country had recorded its lowest number of deaths due to COVID-19 within the past three months when the virus is said to have peaked. On the same day, the premier said Pakistan was “one of the few countries that had overcome the coronavirus challenge” and stressed the need for people to continue taking precautionary measures over Eid holidays and during Muharram.

    By the filing of this report, the total number of coronavirus cases in the country stood at 276,287. The deadly virus had claimed 5,892 lives while the number of recovered COVID-19 patients stood at 244,883.

    The number of COVID-19 cases reported in worst-hit Sindh is 119,398 while the death toll from the virus is 2,172. Across the province, 108,989 patients have recovered and a total number of 720,230 tests have been conducted.

    Meanwhile, the number of cases in Pakistan’s most populous province, Punjab, which had briefly beaten Sindh to clinch the “worst-hit” tag from late April to late May, is 92,452. As many as 2,133 people have been so far died due to COVID-19 in the province while 82,512 people have recovered. The number of tests conducted in the province is 697,989.

    There are 33,724 patients of COVID-19 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), of which 1,186 have lost their lives and 27,724 have recovered. A total of 208,869 people were tested.

    Islamabad, the federal capital, remains the fourth worst-hit territory where the virus was detected in 14,963 people of the total 177,467 who underwent COVID-19 testing. Out of the total number of patients, 165 people died and 12,377 recovered.

    The number of coronavirus cases in Balochistan is 11,654 and the death toll stands at 136. The number of recoveries is 10,080 while the number of tests is 56,919.

    Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) has 2,055 cases, 50 people have died there and 1,543 people have recovered. Meanwhile, the number of patients, who tested positive of 17,561 total tests conducted in Gilgit, is 2,042. As many as 1,658 have recovered and at least 50 have lost their lives.

    While the government is boasting about its smart lockdown policy that it says “has led to the significant drop in coronavirus cases with little impact on the economy”, it is worth mentioning that experts believe lower testing besides a massive shift in behaviours could also be the reason behind the drop. They, however, fear a second and deadlier wave that can wreak havoc if people flout social distancing guidelines during or after Eid.

  • Coronavirus: Pakistan’s secret to ‘flattening the curve’

    According to a report published by The Washington Post on July 19, “Pakistan has flattened its coronavirus curve” as the past several days have seen fewer than 1,500 cases and 40 deaths on an average.

    So far, 5,677 people have succumbed to COVID-19 in Pakistan, which is 2.1% of the total infected population while almost 79% (210,468) patients have recovered.

    The initial estimate of the World Health Organization (WHO) was that the infection fatality rate (IFR) for COVID-19 would be 3.4%, which means that for every hundred cases at three or four people would lose their lives. But as per the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, the IFR has turned out to be much lower — at a mere 0.65%

    READ: Did COVID-19 peak in Pakistan in June?

    Pakistan’s total number of deaths from COVID-19 in June was 2,835. Since the second week of June, an average of 80 to 100 people had been dying on a daily basis and the same trend continued till June 30. The highest single-day death toll was 153 on June 19.

    So far in July, the highest number of deaths was recorded on the fourth day while the daily death toll within the first week stood at around 80. The trend came down to 60 to 70 deaths a day in the second week and the latest trend suggests up to 30 or 40 COVID-19 fatalities a day.

    Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid says that due to the strict quarantine policy of the provincial government, the virus has not spread as expected. She also says most fatalities are of those who are older than 60 years of age or are suffering from certain other diseases.

    READ: Is coronavirus ending in Pakistan?

    The rate of COVID-19 infections and deaths seems to have dropped significantly in Pakistan but it is an open secret that the number of cases and deaths is also being grossly misreported.

    “I am aware of a few cases in which patients with COVID-19 symptoms were never taken to hospitals and in case of death were laid to rest at large funeral gatherings,” said Love for Data Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Syed Tajamul Hussain. He added that the country hadn’t had a mortality census in a while and it was highly likely that cases were being under-reported amid limited testing capacity.

  • The Current data: Are Lahoris actually ‘weird creatures’ not taking coronavirus seriously?

    The Current data: Are Lahoris actually ‘weird creatures’ not taking coronavirus seriously?

    Punjab government has finally once again sealed worst-hit areas of Lahore for at least two weeks despite which the number of coronavirus infections in Punjab rose to 71,987 on Friday.

    The development came days after Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid slammed the people of Lahore for not taking precautionary measures against COVID-19 and held them responsible for the surge in the number of infections in the country’s most populous province.

    “Lahoris are weird creatures. For them, everything is a joke. They are so ignorant… they do not listen and don’t care. No other nation is more ignorant and stupid than Pakistanis,” she had said.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    Seven COVID-19-affected areas have been sealed in Lahore over the past week. These include Gulberg, Model Town, Faisal Town, Garden Town, Defence Housing Authority (DHA), Gulshane Ravi and the Walled City.

    A complete ban has been imposed on transportation and businesses in the sealed areas where 3,606 cases have so far been reported. The actual number of cases is likely to be way more than official figures that are as follows:

    DHA Gulberg Model Town Faisal Town Garden Town Gulshan-e- Ravi Walled city
    1,403 736 659 188 238 212 170

    Government guidelines were issued before re-opening business ahead of Eidul Fitr, under which shopkeepers were told not to let people gather at their stores, social distancing was stressed, availability of sanitisers for general public’s use was to be ensured and wearing gloves with masks was made necessary in most spaces.

    However, none of the SOPs [standard operating procedures] were followed by most Lahoris, resulting in the provincial capital of Punjab becoming the epicenter of COVID-19 in the province.

    At present, there are 71,191 coronavirus cases in Punjab while 35,582 cases (about 49.98 per cent of the total number of infections) are in Lahore alone with the local spread in the city standing at 69.4 per cent.

    Despite a lockdown being put in place again, government SOPs are still not being followed by people as many believe that coronavirus “does not even exist”, and throng to markets, destroying social distancing among other guidelines.

    A look at stats of police actions against violators of SOPs amid the government’s “smart” lockdown, also proves the same.

    According to Lahore police stats from June 16 to June 24, almost 238,400 citizens violating coronavirus guidelines were warned and sent back home. As many as 8,251 motorcycles and vehicles were confiscated while 4,599 citizens submitted surety bonds for not unnecessarily leave their homes again.

    During the ongoing lockdown, 8,927 cases have been registered and 1,888 shops have also been sealed for violating SOPs in Lahore.

  • Patient dies after ‘family unplugs ventilator to turn on air cooler’

    Patient dies after ‘family unplugs ventilator to turn on air cooler’

    A 40-year-old man died at a hospital after his family members allegedly unplugged the ventilator he was on to plug in an air cooler.

    Hospital authorities said a three-member committee will probe the incident.

    According to reports, the patient, who was suspected to be suffering from COVID-19, was brought to the ICU of the government-run hospital in the Kota city of India’s Rajasthan state on June 13. His test report, however, came negative later.

    The man was shifted to an isolation ward on June 15 as a safety measure after another patient in the ICU tested positive for the disease.

    Since it was very hot in the isolation ward, his family members bought an air cooler the same day. On finding no socket for the cooler, they allegedly unplugged the ventilator.

    They immediately informed doctors and medical staff, who administered CPR upon the patient, but he died.

    Hospital Superintendent Dr Naveen Saxena said the committee comprising the deputy superintendent, nursing superintendent and chief medical officer on duty will probe the incident and submit a report.

    The committee has recorded statements of medical staff in the isolation ward but the family members of the deceased patient are not responding to the panel, he alleged.

    The family members allegedly did not seek permission to plug in the cooler and when the patient died, they “misbehaved” with the medical staff and the resident doctor on duty, other hospital authorities said.