Coronavirus Update: Sindh continues to have lion’s share in fatalities, infection

 By Mukhtar Alam

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Sindh registered yet another 227 cases of COVID-19 infection, with three related fatalities during the last 24 hours, taking the overall tally of infection to 132,818 for the province on September 16.

According to the national dashboard on COVID-19, Sindh reported 42% of the total of 545 new cases across the country on September 16, while Sindh added three of the four to the overall daily tally in Pakistan. 

The COVID laboratories in the province collectively tested 13,314 samples, against Pakistan’s 31,808, during the last 24 hours ending September 16 morning. 

An official report said that the LUMHS laboratory at Hyderabad tested the maximum 8,155 samples, out of which 55 were positive for coronavirus, including 47 new infections, followed by Indus hospital laboratory at Karachi, which examined 1,589 samples and found 41 positive. 

The report revealed that among the targeted areas, shopping malls presented the highest rate of COVID-19 infection during a period from August 12 to September 16 being 2.1% cases out of 3,773 samples. 

About COVID-19 fatalities, it was said that three of the patients who lost their lives in the province belonged to Karachi’s East and South districts and Thatta. 

Karachi East has in all reported 683 deaths, against Karachi South (340) and Thatta (10). Earlier, the three persons who were reported dead due to COVID-19 on September 15 included a patient who lost his life at home. 

Over 96% of the COVID-19 patients were recorded as having recovered the diseases while about two percent could not survive the disease, as of September 16, according to official data. 

On the other hand, there were 2,554 (1.9%) active patients, as of September 16, including 2,276 in home-isolation, four in isolation centres, 274 in hospitals, including 149 declared critically ill, while 23 were put on ventilators. 

The new COVID-19 infections were registered at Karachi (106), followed by Jamshoro (16), Sanghar (8), Shaheed Benazirabad (6), Kashmore (6), Hyderabad (6), Matiari (5), Tando Allahyar (4), Umerkot (4), Badin (3), Naushero Feroze (3), Thatta (3), Tando Mohammad Khan (2), Mirpurkhas (2), Ghotki (2), Dadu (2), Jacobabad (1), Shikarpur (1) and others.