Coronavirus Update: 573 new cases in Sindh

By Mukhtar Alam
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Sindh registered another 573 new cases of COVID-19, with five related deaths, on May 26 when it entered the fourth month of its fight against the lethal virus originating from China about six months back. 

A young male resident of Karachi, who had a history of travelling to Iran, was declared the first case of coronavirus infection in Sindh by its health authorities on February 26 and since then there is no respite from the epidemic, key curves related to infections, deaths and others aspects are yet to be seen flattened, while, according to keen observers, government finds provision of appropriate hospital care required by the infected people still a daunting tasks.

As of May 26, the province reported a total 23,507 confirmed COVID-19 cases in three months, largely in cities like Karachi, Hyderabad, Larkana, Sukkur, Ghotki, Khairpur, Shaheed Benazirabad and Jacobaabad, with 374 deaths, while 248 patients were in critical condition; 49 put on ventilators, as per the official data. 

Sindh happens to be the most affected province due to COVID-19, followed by Punjab. It was deemed as the government’s failure that the virus was brought in, initially, by Pakistanis visiting abroad for various purposes including pilgrimage and then after it found it rapid transmissions in the locals of all ages and genders living in all districts of Sindh, said a public health commentator. 

As of May 24, Karachi had 119 ventilators reserved for COVID-19 patients out of which only 34 of them were occupied. On the same day two off-ventilators death occurred while another two patients died at home.

In his routine communication with the media, the Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah, stated on May 26 that five more patients died overnight taking the death toll to 374. The death rate in reference to the total infection cases cane was 1.6%. 

However, there was no mention of the age, gender and hospitalization of the patients in the statement. Earlier, such details had been coming through the provincial health minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho or her designated hands but now such information about the COVID-deaths and other relevant daily case summary has been stopped without assigning any reason. 

The Chief Minister further said that as many as 2,327 samples of coronavirus were tested during last 24 hours which resulted in 573 new cases. “The government has tested 23,507 samples positive for coronavirus, out of 161,628 samples, so far.” 

He added that presently 248 patients were in critical condition and 49 of them have been put on ventilators. “At present 14,618 patients were under treatment, including 12,931 (88%) in home isolation, 794 (6%) in Isolation centres and 893 (6%) in different hospitals. 

The districts which reported new COVID-19 cases during the last 24 hours, ending at 8 am were Karachi (467 cases), Hyderabad (24), Shikarpur (12), Jacobabad (11), Kashmore (5), Larkana (4), Sukkur (3), Umerkot (3), Kambar Shadadkot (2), Khairpur (2), Dadu (2) and Sanghar (1).