The spread of the coronavirus delta variant in Karachi on the eve of Eid-ul-Adha is reaching alarming levels as public and some private sector hospitals are reaching capacity and have started refusing patients, medical officials said on Tuesday.
The Sindh government on Monday said the COVID-19 situation in the city was turning dire, and warned people that ignoring precautionary measures during the three-day Eid holiday could make matters worse.
During the last 24 hours, the coronavirus positivity rate in the metropolis rose to 25.7 per cent, almost five times higher than the national rate of 5.25 per cent.
Dr Kaiser Sajjad, general secretary of the Pakistan Medical Association, said, “Government hospitals have reached saturation point, which was not seen during previous waves, and even some private hospitals are refusing patients. “
Sajjad said, “God have mercy on us as people are not taking this pandemic seriously. Such irresponsible behavior on the festival of Eid will only make matters worse.” Reuters.
The delta variant can spread during the holiday as people travel from cities such as Karachi to their hometowns.
The city has a 92.2 percent prevalence of the delta variant, according to the Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences at the University of Karachi.
Dr Seemin Jamali, executive director of Karachi’s biggest Jinnah Hospital, told Reuters That 77 of its 90 coronavirus beds were occupied and plans were made to add more.
“We had not encountered such capability conditions during the previous waves,” Jamali said. “The situation is getting very bad.”
The two doctors warned that the Eid holiday and the upcoming elections in independent Jammu and Kashmir on July 25 could prove to be a super-spreader event, as the government and opposition are busy with large public gatherings.
Earlier, sources Told dawn Health facilities where Covid-19 beds were now largely occupied include Sindh Institute of Infectious Diseases – a premier government facility providing quality free treatment to coronavirus patients – Dow University of Health Sciences, Qatar 140 bed facility set up at General Hospital, Civil Hospital Karachi, Lyari General Hospital, Indus Hospital and Expo Centre.
Delta version ‘spread to Karachi’
“The delta variant is highly contagious and has spread throughout the city,” said Dr Ishtiaq Ahmed Khan, associate professor at the Jamilur Rahman Center for Genomics Research at KU.
He regretted the public behavior and said that people are not taking the Delta version seriously.
Calling for strict implementation of the SOP, he said, “They are thinking that the fourth coronavirus wave will not affect them like it did during the previous Covid-19 episodes. But, unfortunately, it may not happen this time.” “
Read: Pakistan ranks 30th after registering 15,000 virus cases in a week
Last week, Asad Umar, Minister of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, said that hospitals are witnessing a rapid increase in the influx of COVID patients. He had earlier warned of a fourth wave if precautionary measures were not followed.
First identified in India in March, the Delta version has spread to more than 90 countries and is also the most prominent version in India, the United Kingdom, Russia, Israel, Singapore and more than a dozen other countries.
The variant, scientists say, has characteristics that allow it to evade some of the body’s immune system defenses. Plus, it has by far the highest transmittance of any kind, which is a dangerous combination.
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