Tag: coronavirus

  • Goodbye, 2020…

    The coming week will usher us to a new year and the entire world is hoping that it would be better than 2020. This year was certainly one that we will remember for a long, long time.

    Concepts like social distancing, wearing face masks and sanitising your hands regularly, ‘work from home’ and lockdowns have become a norm. Many regular travellers have not travelled in almost a year. A lot of people have lost their loved ones due to this novel coronavirus.

    The coronavirus pandemic has changed the world in many ways. From exposing how the healthcare system was unable to deal with a global pandemic in most countries, to an economic crisis that many poor countries would take years to recover from, it affected all and sundry.

    According to a blog published by the World Bank, “the pandemic has harmed the poor and vulnerable the most, and it is threatening to push millions more into poverty. This year, after decades of steady progress in reducing the number of people living on less than $1.90/day, COVID-19 will usher in the first reversal in the fight against extreme poverty in a generation.”

    COVID-19 should also make the world think of how much damage we have done to our globe and environment. Climate change is a harsh reality that one can only ignore at their own peril. When lockdowns around the world started and travel restrictions were imposed, the level of air pollution compared to last year went down during that same period.

    People were fascinated by the clear blue skies in their cities. According to researchers at Future Earth’s Global Carbon Project, the global COVID-19 lockdowns caused fossil carbon dioxide emissions to decline by an estimated 2.4 billion tonnes in 2020, which was a record drop. 

    This pandemic was also one of the main reasons why Donald Trump lost the US elections. The way Trump mishandled the pandemic and denied how serious it was, it led to more than 300,000 deaths till date. On the other hand, Pakistan was relatively successful in dealing with the pandemic after the first wave. Now that the second wave is here, we hope that people will take it more seriously and not be careless.

    Hopefully, the next year will bring some semblance of normalcy once the vaccine is administered in all countries. Unfortunately, it seems that poor countries will get the vaccine much later than rich countries. Let’s hope that the world community will help each other in this hour of need.

    Here is wishing everyone a peaceful new year!

  • COVID-19 reaches the last continent

    COVID-19 has finally reached Antarctica, making it the last continent to be hit by the pandemic.

    Thirty-six people on the continent tested positive for the novel virus. Of those infected, 26 are members of the Chilean army and 10 are civilian maintenance personnel.

    According to Chile’s army and health ministry officials, infected patients were evacuated to the city of Punta Arenas where they have been put in isolation and are under “constant monitoring”.

    Chilean officials are investigating how the virus reached there, said a spokesman for the Health Ministry. He said that so far none of the infected men have had severe symptoms.

  • Record 111 deaths in a day as ‘Britain-like new COVID-19 strain discovered in Karachi’

    Record 111 deaths in a day as ‘Britain-like new COVID-19 strain discovered in Karachi’

    Pakistan on Tuesday recorded the highest single-day deaths ever during the second wave of coronavirus, reporting 111 fatalities amid reports that a new strain of coronavirus, similar to the one wreaking havoc in the United Kingdom, has also surfaced in Karachi.

    Geo reported Coronavirus Task Force head Dr Attaur Rehman as saying that the authorities have discovered a new strain of coronavirus in the port city that is similar to the one spreading in Europe.

    With the latest surge, the death toll in the country has reached 9,668. As per the breakdown, Punjab reported 51 deaths; Sindh 40 deaths; Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 14 deaths; Islamabad four deaths; while Balochistan reported only two deaths.

    This is the second time that the country has reported over 100 deaths during the second wave of the deadly infection. On Dec 15, it had reported 105 deaths. The highest number of deaths due to the coronavirus took place in June when 141 people lost their lives to the deadly contagion.

    While, recoveries on the other hand have risen to 417,134 after 1,782 more people recovered, according to the government’s COVID-19 portal. The portal also showed that 2,361 virus patients are in critical condition.

    Health experts see the ever-increasing coronavirus cases as a result of the poor compliance of the COVID-19 protocols. It is also feared that the health system might crash soon if the tally continues to surge at the current pace.

  • CM Buzdar tests positive for COVID-19 two days after attending high profile wedding

    Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar on Monday tested positive for COVID-19, sources in the CM House confirmed to The Current two days after the provincial chief executive attended a high profile wedding in Lahore.

    “The CM was tested for coronavirus after after he complained of symptoms,” a CM House official said.

    “The chief minister had quarantined himself after feeling sick on Sunday,” the official version maintained.

    Over the weekend, Buzdar was spotted at a high profile event held to mark the baraat of former Punjab governor Muhammad Latif Khosa’s daughter Sehr Khosa.

    Among other guests at the two-day wedding ceremony were Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Gulzar Ahmed, Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, former CJP Asif Saeed Khosa and ex-prime minister (PM) Yousaf Raza Gillani.

    Ex-CJP Saqib Nisar also reportedly attended the event.

  • Maulana Tariq Jamil recovers from coronavirus

    Maulana Tariq Jamil has tested negative for coronavirus.

    Announcing the news on social media, the renowned religious scholar wrote: “Alhumdulillah with the love and prayers of everyone, I have tested negative.”

     He added that “he still needed prayers for a complete recovery.”

    “May Allah let the humanity get rid of this pandemic with His blessings.”

    Maulana Tariq Jamil had tested positive for COVID-19 on December 13. He was later admitted to the hospital on his doctor’s advise. Prime Minister Imran Khan and other senior leaders had extended their prayers and wished him a speedy recovery.

  • COVID-19: Jawad Sohrab of Sohrab Foundation emerges a pandemic hero

    COVID-19: Jawad Sohrab of Sohrab Foundation emerges a pandemic hero

    2020 has been a tough year for everyone across the globe considering the coronavirus pandemic and the lockdowns that followed. The World Health Organisation Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in a recent address remarked that the pandemic has shown humanity at “its best and worst”, pointing to “inspiring acts of compassion and self-sacrifice, breathtaking feats of science and innovation, and heartwarming demonstrations of solidarity.”

    In Pakistan, people have come together to help those in need and those most-affected. While the government mobilised resources to help the affected, members of civil society also stepped up and extended their support. Among those who offered their assistance is British-Pakistani businessman Jawad Sohrab Malik, who is also credited as being one of the top donors to the Supreme Court of Pakistan and the Prime Minister of Pakistan Dam Fund.

    Jawad Sohrab Malik

    Jawad, through his charity organisation, The Sohrab Foundation, donated over 50,000 ration bags worth Rs 4,000 plus cash donation to daily wagers affected by the pandemic for distribution through the Pakistan Army. His efforts were appreciated by the armed forces and DG ISPR Major General Babar Iftikhar honoured him with a memento to acknowledge his efforts and contribution for supporting the society and providing relief during these troubled times. He was also lauded by Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa for his charity work, which is a huge feat in itself.

    According to details, the Sohrab Foundation has been engaged in charitable work for the last 10 years. Speaking about the foundation’s journey, Jawad had said: “We started with Iftar Dastarkhwan for 1000 people and the scope kept increasing every year. Now, under our Ramazan Dastarkhawn Programme, we provide meals to at least 300,000 people each year at multiple locations across the country.”

    He explained that due to the pandemic, the foundation decided to divert funds towards those affected by the virus and lockdown.

    “The needs of our times are increasingly urgent and this is a time when our countrymen need us the most. We must do all we can in our capacity to help those in need as this is the essence of our religion too. After all, we must not forget that Allah brings us in this world just so that we can help others and a person’s most useful asset is his or her willingness to assist another.”

    Furthermore, speaking exclusively to The Current Jawad added: “Charity has always been a focal pillar in our lives. This is what I learnt from my father and am just carrying on what he taught us on a larger and more organised scale and structure.”

    “Helping is above all, this doesn’t necessarily mean financially. It could be assisting someone with your time, advice, with kind words. As long as you can somehow comfort and help someone and make them feel better that’s what matters,” he continued.

    Meanwhile, Jawad is also playing a key role in building up trade relations between Pakistan and the United Kingdom. Earlier, in March 2019, Jawad had invited Labour MPs Naz Shah, Faisal Rasheed and former cabinet minister and Tory peer Baroness Sayeeda Warsi to his residence in Islamabad and informed them that Pakistani government under Prime Minister Imran Khan was committed to building stronger relations between the two countries and wanted businesses to invest in Pakistan. He shared the incentives the country was offering and encouraged them to also assist in building ties.

    “Life is too short, so let’s do everything we can today to help people now,” is what Jawad says his motto in life is and he is trying to do whatever he can to give back to his people and his country.

  • Teachers should receive vaccine priority: UNICEF

    Teachers should receive vaccine priority: UNICEF

    The head of the UN children’s agency, UNICEF, has said that teachers should be among those given priority access to the COVID-19 vaccines.

    “The Covid-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on children’s education around the globe. Vaccinating teachers is a critical step towards putting it back on track,” Unicef chief Henrietta Fore said in a statement.

    Teachers should be “prioritised to receive the Covid-19 vaccine, once frontline health personnel and high-risk populations are vaccinated,” she said.

    “This will help protect teachers from the virus, allow them to teach in person and ultimately keep schools open.”

    According to UNICEF, at the peak of the first wave of the pandemic at the end of April, “school closures disturbed the learning of almost 90% of students worldwide.”

    Assuming that schools are not the main driver of community transmission, Unicef said in its statement that unfortunately, classes currently remain closed for “nearly one in five schoolchildren globally — or 320 million children.”

    We must “do everything in our power to safeguard the future of the next generation. This begins by safeguarding those responsible for opening that future up for them,” Fore said.

    “The consequences of extended, missed or impaired education are steep, especially for the most marginalized. The longer children remain out of school, the less likely they are to return, and the more difficult it is for their parents to resume work,” she said.

  • Pakistani doctor develops COVID-19 diagnostic test using smartphone

    A Pakistani doctor based in Toronto has launched an instant COVID-19 diagnostic test using a smartphone.

    Pakistan High Commissioner to Canada Raza Bashir Tarar has congratulated Dr Naqeeb Khalid for his achievement.

    Dr Naqeeb Khalid has graduated from King Edward Medical University in 1983 and has experience in the invention of medical devices and systems. The doctor told High Commissioner for Pakistan to Canada Raza Bashir Tarar that his invention will be used with the help of a digital platform that shows the result promptly on any smartphone. It can also communicate or save the results along with time and GPS information.

    He said that instant, precise and low-cost testing that does not rely on laboratory is vital in handling the pandemic. “Together with vaccines, we can control the COVID-19 outbreak and bring our lives and economies to normal.”

    In a video conversation with Dr Khalid, the high commissioner said the idea of a Covid test being displayed and communicated by the smartphone is admirable.

    He hoped such a quick, hassle-free, accessible and affordable invention would be of huge help to humanity in overcoming the current pandemic.

    Tarar says that clinical trials of the innovation would prove its efficacy for the COVID-19 test and make the way for necessary approvals before put to use at the mass level.

    The smartphone application would soon be available to download from the AppStore.

  • PM Imran prays for Maulana Tariq Jamil’s speedy recovery

    Prime Minister Imran Khan has extended his prayers and best wishes to Maulana Tariq Jamil after he tested positive for COVID-19. The renowned religious scholar has been admitted to the hospital on his doctor’s advise.

    “Praying for Maulana Tariq Jamil’s speedy and full recovery from the COVID-19”, wrote PM Khan on social media.

    Maulana Tariq Jamil on Sunday had announced that he has tested positive for coronavirus.

    “For the past few days, I have been feeling unwell. On getting tested for COVID, it came positive,” he shared on social media. “I have been admitted to the hospital on the advice of doctors, special prayers are requested.”

    Read more – Maulana Tariq Jamil apologises to nation for controversial remarks against women

    Meanwhile, Senator Faisal Javed Khan has also extended his best wishes to Maulana Tariq.

  • Sanam Jung tests positive for COVID, has no severe symptoms

    Sanam Jung tests positive for COVID, has no severe symptoms

    Sanam Jung has revealed that she and her daughter have tested positive for COVID-19.

    In a story posted to her Instagram, Sanam said: “I would like to inform all my well wishers that I have tested positive for COVID-19.”

    “My daughter and I have been in complete isolation and thankfully, Alhumdullilah have no severe symptoms,” she added.

    She also urged people to wear a mask and follow all other safety guidelines. “I would request all of you to take this pandemic seriously. Covid is real. Please take the necessary precautions. Wear a mask and avoid public spaces. Stay indoors and be safe.”

    Earlier on Sunday, Mahira Khan also announced that she has tested positive for COVID-19.

    “It’s been rough but it will be ok soon, inshAllah,” the actor had said.

    Meanwhile, Neelam Muneer also tested positive for COVID-19 last week while Behroze Sabzwari has recovered from the virus after spending a few days in the hospital.