Tag: corona virus

  • JN.1 : New Covid variant spreading in Pakistan

    JN.1 : New Covid variant spreading in Pakistan

    The emergence of a new coronavirus variant, JN1, a subvariant of Omicron, has raised concerns as four cases were confirmed on Sunday in Pakistan.

    A spokesperson for the Ministry of Health confirmed that all four patients had recovered without encountering any complications, reports the Express Tribune.

    Amid global attention on the new strain, the World Health Organization (WHO) has classified JN1 as a “variant of interest.” Presently, WHO assesses the risk to public health from this strain as low based on existing evidence.

    Dr Nadeem Jan, the caretaker health minister, has said that authorities are closely monitoring the situation, adding that approximately 90 per cent of Pakistan’s population has received vaccination against Covid-19, a critical measure in combatting the spread of such variants.

    As winter brings its challenges, Dr Jan reiterated the importance of preventive measures, urging the public to continue wearing masks, maintaining social distancing, and following health guidelines to curb the spread of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases.

    A few days ago, the federal government decided to secure 500,000 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine in response to the potential resurgence of the new variant observed in multiple countries.

    The procurement strategy for Pfizer vaccines from the US was devised based on recommendations from the Emergency Operation Centre’s (EOC) technical advisory group.

    Previously, the Sindh Health Department confirmed the presence of a new variant of COVID-19 in two passengers arriving from overseas at Karachi Airport. However, it had clarified that no cases of the variant have been reported within the Sindh province.

  • National Institute of Health urges citizens to wear masks amid rise in Covid-19

    As Covid-19 cases has begun rising in Pakistan once more, the National Institute of Health (NIC) tweeted yesterday that according the guidelines sent by the National Command And Operation Center (NCOC) citizens are advised to take safety precautions like wearing masks to keep themselves safe from the disease.

    Amid the current COVID-19 disease trends across the country, NCOC recommended following guidelines for the period up to 30 April 2023. “Mask wearing is recommended at crowded tightly enclosed spaces including healthcare facilities”

    The alert has arrived after the countrywide Covid-19 positivity rate rose to 2.7%, with positive patients adding up to 133 in total, and at least 15 under critical care, as per the tweet released by NIH.

  • How to reuse N95, KN95, and other disposable Masks- A complete guideline

    How to reuse N95, KN95, and other disposable Masks- A complete guideline

    It is very troublesome for people to change their masks after a single-use. We will explain how you can reuse the recommended masks — N95, KN95, and disposable masks to prevent coronavirus.

    How can you reuse masks?

    For healthcare workers, it is recommended that they can reuse N95 masks while keeping them in brown paper bags after each use.

    How safe is it to reuse masks during increased cases of the Omicron variant of Covid?

    Yes, it’s totally safe to reuse masks if you handle them with care. You are required to touch the elastic of the mask only while covering your face and afterwards you can wash your hands.

    How to use your mask if it gets wet?

    Mask is wearable again if it gets wet due to condensation of your breathing but make sure to keep the masks in the paper bag in a dry spot, ideally by a sunny window, to decontaminate. It can help enhance the viral-deactivation process.

    However, if your mask is drenched during rain, you need to throw it away immediately because moisture degrades the mask little by little.

    Don’t try to wash your masks

    If you are thinking of washing or disinfecting your masks, you cannot use absolutely any kind of bleach or alcohol for washing. You can use the paper bag method for sanitising as it is less expensive and easy to use. It has fewer chances of damaging the mask effectively.

    What is the right time to throw away your mask?

    The United States (US) organisation, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests throwing your N95 mask after five times’ use for health workers. However, for other people, you can reuse the mask until the elastic strings become loose to fit and if the fabric looks clean and provides good airflow. You can only throw the disposable masks immediately where you are present in a highly ineffective area or you met with a Covid-positive person.

    It is important to know that dust, air pollutants, pollen, make-up, skin oils, inactivated virus accumulate and block the filters.