Tag: COVID

  • Man gets Covid-19 from cat

    Thailand has reported a case of a human being infected with Covid-19 through a cat. The case was reported in Nature, a science journal.

    As per the study published on June 6 titled “Emerging Infectious Diseases” and cited by the journal, a father and son duo who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in August were reportedly kept in isolation at the university hospital. The household cat tested positive as well.

    The cat sneezed in the veterinarian’s face as it was being swabbed. The surgeon had no eye protection but was covered up with gloves and a face mask. Three days later, she developed a fever.

    Genetic testing proved the vet and the cat shared the same variant.

    However, according to researchers, such instances of cat-to-human transfer are quite uncommon.

  • Video: Bride breaks down after finding dead father at her wedding

    Video: Bride breaks down after finding dead father at her wedding

    A man in India gifted his sister a wax statue of their late father at her wedding. The video of the bride’s emotional reaction after finding the statue of her dead father has gone viral on social media.

    In the viral video, the bride can be seen giving her father’s statue a tender kiss before performing her wedding rituals.

    The video has received at least eight million views on YouTube. The guests present at the wedding were also moved by this gesture.

    The bride’s father lost his life to Covid last year.

    “I was with him in the hospital for three days where I could not meet him or talk to him as he was on a ventilator,” said the bride’s brother.

  • Surge in Covid-19 cases: CAA re-imposes restrictions

    Surge in Covid-19 cases: CAA re-imposes restrictions

    The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) on Monday released a fresh travel advisory instructing all relevant authorities to enforce the usage of masks on domestic flights in view of the ongoing surge of Covid-19 cases in Pakistan.

    According to a notification from CAA, all concerned quarters must ensure compliance with the new order. The notification added that the other Covid-19 guidelines on domestic air travel remained unchanged.

    https://twitter.com/official_pcaa/status/1541127874345930759

    According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), 382 cases of Covid-19 with a positivity rate of 2.85 per cent were reported in Pakistan on June 26.

  • Sixth Covid wave expected, warn medical experts

    Sixth Covid wave expected, warn medical experts

    Pakistan is expecting another Covid-19 wave, according to medical experts. Karachi is the most affected city with 340 positive cases, raising Sindh’s positivity rate to 10.69 per cent in seven days.

    Medical experts say a new variant — BA.5 — is fast spreading in other countries and had been reported in Pakistan, including Karachi.

    “While other [old] sub-variants of Omicron are also being reported in Karachi, this one is more contagious since it’s a new one and has been a cause of concern in other parts of the world,” said Dr Saeed Khan, a professor of molecular pathology heading the Sindh Public Health Lab at the Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS), while speaking with Dawn.

    “If we don’t pay heed to medical advice and start implementing the Covid-related preventive measures seriously, the spike in cases might turn into the sixth wave of coronavirus,” he said.

    “They are genetically different, which helps them transmit fast. Other reasons include waning of vaccine immunity after six months, reluctance on part of the general public to get a booster shot and absence of Covid-19 preventive measures at public places,” said Dr Khan.

    According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), 204 cases of Covid-19 with a positivity rate of 1.53 per cent were reported in Pakistan today (June 22).

  • After meeting Bilawal, German FM tests positive for Covid-19

    After meeting Bilawal, German FM tests positive for Covid-19

    German Foreign Minister (FM) Annalena Baerbock tested positive for Covid-19, her ministry confirmed on Tuesday, reports Reuters.

    Earlier, Baerbock met her Pakistani counterpart Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari in Islamabad. She has also cancelled all further dates of the trip, which also included stops in Greece and Turkey.

    Responding to the news, FM Bilawal wished Baerbock a quick recovery. He tweeted, “Building on our excellent talks today, I look forward to our continued engagement and future interactions to further solidify Pakistan and Germany partnership.”

    Baerbock reached Islamabad today (Tuesday) on a two-day visit.

    Baerbock and Bilawal held a joint presser in the capital. It has been reported that Pakistan will inaugurate its Consulate General in Munich soon.

    ‘We support the work of the UN and their stance on Kashmir’: FM Baerbock

    During the presser, Bilawal said, “If India fails to condemn the comments, then it’s a reflection that it’s not a secular India but rather a Hindu-superiority India. We would want to engage with India but with a rationale.”

    Talking about the Kashmir issue, Baerbock said, “The foundation of human rights is indivisible and this counts for every region in the world. This also counts for Kashmir, this counts for women’s rights. This counts for minority rights and religious rights Therefore, we support the work of the UN and their stance on Kashmir to ensure that all human rights are being guaranteed.”

    “We believe that constructive approaches and measures from both sides are the only way forward to improve the relationships between India and Pakistan. The bilateral agreement along the line of control last year was a positive step”, she added.

    ‘Pakistan had been Germany’s closest and most reliable partner‘: FM Baerbock

    About the Afghan situation, the German FM said, “It is not the mistake of the people that the Taliban overthrew the government and since then have tightened their grip on Afghan society,” she said, promising that Germany would continue to provide humanitarian aid and support people who need it, especially women and girls.

    The diplomat highlighted that Pakistan had been Germany’s “closest and most reliable partner” in that regard, revealing that under this close cooperation between the two countries, 14,000 Afghans, who were at risk in the country, could travel to Germany via Pakistan and were able to start a new life in safety and without fear.

    ‘Pakistan does not want to be dragged in conflict’: FM Bilawal

    Bilawal also highlighted that Pakistan was playing an outside role in mitigating the economic crisis in Afghanistan. “This is the face of Pakistan. A modern Muslim country”, he said.

    While talking about the Ukraine crisis, Bilawal maintained that Pakistan “does not want to be dragged in conflict particularly given that we have just experienced decade after decade of conflict in Afghanistan”.

  • Trouble in Bollywood: Shah Rukh, Katrina, Kartik, Aditya test positive for Covid

    Trouble in Bollywood: Shah Rukh, Katrina, Kartik, Aditya test positive for Covid

    Bollywood actors Shah Rukh Khan Kartik Aaryan, Katrina Kaif, and Aditya Roy Kapur have tested positive for Covid’19 virus.

    Kaif also tested positive in April 2021. This time she had to skip the IIFA 2022 ceremony on Saturday, where her husband, actor Vicky Kaushal, was awarded the Best Actor Male for Sardar Udham Singh. Katrina and Vicky were spotted together at filmmaker Karan Johar’s birthday party on May 25 alongside Shah Rukh and Gauri Khan at Mumbai’s Yash Raj Films studio.

    With the rising number of COVID-19 cases in Mumbai, the BMC has issued fresh alerts instructing film studios in K-West ward to not organise parties.

    West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee tweeted about it. “Just came to know that our Brand Ambassador Shahrukh Khan has been detected covid positive. Pray fastest recovery for the superstar. Get well Shahrukh! Spring back asap!

    According to News18, the Dhoom 3 diva has completed her quarantine period. When Vicky was asked about Katrina not being with him in Abu Dhabi for the IIFA Awards, he said, “Even I am missing us together as well”.

    Meanwhile, on Saturday Shah Rukh revealed the first poster of his upcoming film Jawan, and said ‘inevitable issues’ led to its delay. He had announced the film with a teaser on Friday.

    The news of Shah Rukh and Katrina testing positive for the virus, comes a day after actor Kartik Aaryan confirmed he had Covid-19. Actor Aditya Roy Kapur also tested positive for Covid-19, according to reports.

    SCOOP: Akshay Kumar and Jagan Shakti's ambitious double role action thriller, Mission Lion, put on hold for time being : Bollywood News - Bollywood Hungama

    In May, actor Akshay Kumar could not travel to Cannes Film Festival 2022, after he tested positive for Covid-19.

  • Covid rise: PM orders reopening of National Command and Operation Center

    Covid rise: PM orders reopening of National Command and Operation Center

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif has ordered the immediate restoration of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) after Pakistan reports its first case of the Covid Omicron sub-variant. The NCOC was disbanded in March after covid cases were on the decline.

    According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s House, the premier took notice of the new variant of Omicron and its growing cases. “He has also sought a report from the National Institute of Health (NIH) over the current Covid-19 situation,” it said.

    https://twitter.com/PMO_PK/status/1523912826787667968?s=20&t=TXvYAouDrl9564PVgoXaQw

    Pakistan detected its first case of Omicron sub-variant on Tuesday.

    “NIH has detected the first case of Omicron sub-variant BA.2.12.1. This new sub-variant is causing an increasing number of cases in different countries.” NIC also advised citizens to take preventive measures.

    NCOC, which was tackling Covid-19 in Pakistan, was shut down on March 31.

    On March 16, NCOC decided to lift all the Covid-19 related restrictions amid the decline in cases.

  • Asian Games 2022 in China postponed due to Covid

    Asian Games 2022 in China postponed due to Covid

    This year’s Asian Games have been postponed for an indefinite period as China tries to stamp out a large resurgence in Covid infections in several parts of the country. The event was scheduled to be held in Hangzhou, China, from September 10-25, 2022.

    According to the official statement by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), the new dates will be agreed between the OCA, the Chinese Olympic Committee (COC) and the Hangzhou Asian Games Organising Committee (HAGOC) and will be announced in the near future.

    “HAGOC has been very well prepared to deliver the games on time despite global challenges. However, the above decision was taken by all the stakeholders after carefully considering the pandemic situation and the size of the games,” the statement further reads.

    However, last month the organisers of the games said that Hangzhou has completed constructing some 56 competition venues for the Asian Games and Asian Para Games.

    It is pertinent to mention that more than 11,000 athletes from 44 countries were to take part in the 19th Asian Games in September 2022.

    It has also been confirmed by the OCA that the 3rd Asian Youth Games 2021, originally scheduled to be held last year but was rescheduled for this year, are now officially cancelled.

    Most international sporting events in China have been postponed or cancelled since the start of the pandemic, with the notable exception of the Winter Olympics, which went ahead in Beijing under strict health controls in February.

  • Man allegedly gets 90 Covid shots to issue fake vaccination cards

    Man allegedly gets 90 Covid shots to issue fake vaccination cards

    A 60-year-old German man allegedly received 90 Covid shots in order to issue fake vaccination cards for those people who do not want to get the vaccines themselves, reports The Guardian.

    A man residing in Magdeburg, whose name was not publicly released due to the privacy policy of the country, has received up to 90 vaccine shots from vaccination centres for several months until he was arrested by the police on Sunday.

    The police did not detain the suspect but he is being investigated for issuing vaccination cards without authorisation and document forgery. When he went to the vaccination centre at Eilenburg, a town in Saxony state for a second time in a row, the police caught him.

    The police also confiscated several blank vaccination cards from him and initiated an interrogation for the criminal offence.

    There are no reported impacts of around 90 shots of vaccines on a man’s health until now. The vaccines that he received were from different brands.

  • Pakistan reports no deaths due to Covid for the first time in two years

    Pakistan reports no deaths due to Covid for the first time in two years

    For the first time since the outbreak of Covid-19 in the country, Pakistan has reported zero Covid deaths today (Wednesday).

    The country witnessed a slight rise in cases, with a 1.28 per cent positivity rate and 443 reported new cases, as per the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC).

    However, the country has been maintaining a positivity rate below 2 per cent since mid-March.

    Earlier, NCOC chief Asad Umar had announced the decision to lift all the Covid-19 related restrictions but made it clear that the vaccination restriction would not be lifted.

    On March 12, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (PM) on National Health Services, Regulations, and Coordination, Dr Faisal Sultan announced the government’s decision to shut down NCOC.

    In recent months, the rate of Covid cases in Pakistan has remained low after almost three years of fighting the global pandemic.