Daily Times

With the coronavirus monopolising and haunting the global health community and people churning all kind of rumours, countries are taking control measures ranging from that of panic to effective surveillance.Pakistan has been recently appreciated by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Dr PalithaMahipala, WHO’s representative in Pakistan, said that Pakistan’s efforts to deal with the challenge are much better than a number of other countries.

Dr Mahipala said that Pakistan has not only got the facility to diagnose COVID-19 but has also introduced it at five different places across the country within two weeks unlike many other parts of the world. He said, “There were only three labs having the capability to test virus in the US, Hong Kong and the Netherlands. Pakistan within two weeks got the testing capability and now free-of-cost tests are being provided at five different areas of the country. However, many other countries don’t have the capability to test for the virus due to which they send samples to other countries.”

WHO has warned of a global shortage of medical equipment as coronavirus cases rise in India and the USA. In India 16 Italian nationals have tested positive for coronavirus as worldwide cases cross 93,000.Iran has the highest toll outside China; 23 members of parliament have been infected and 77 deaths reported, including that of the Expediency Council member Mohammad Mirmohammadi. Iranis taking extreme measures to control the epidemic. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has involved Iran’s armed forces by mobilising 300,000 soldiers to assist health officials in the fight against the coronavirus outbreak.

On the other side of the globe, a North Korean official was shot down after he breached the country’s strict quarantine rules and was spotted at a public bath. Italy, a favourite tourist destination, has various cities, especially Milan, the epicentre of the outbreak, in lockdown. Schools, markets, cinemas, theatres, churches and museums are closed, with all significant events either cancelled or postponed, with public transports more than half empty.

The current situation in Pakistan, on the contrary, remains brighter.The first success of the ministry of health and government was in cordoning off Pakistan and delaying the arrival of coronavirus in Pakistan. However, the fact remains that airborne viruses know no borders and are not at the mercy of immigration; it is only a matter of time that they sweep across countries.

Even with the best-laid plans and strategies, it was inevitable that sooner or later it would enter our territories. With more than 90,000 affected across 73 countries and a death toll of 3,115, countries are struggling to cope with the epidemic. On the other hand, Pakistan’s health system headed by PM’s State Minister ofHealth Dr Zafar Mirza is being applauded by WHO’s country head Dr Palitha for having robust virus control measures in place with five virus diagnosis centres set across the country, free testing facilities, isolated wards in hospitals, quarantine facilities, a robust surveillance system, and screening systems at 19 points of entry across the country, ensuring that not a single person is missed.

Pakistan’s health system headed by State Minister of Health Dr Zafar Mirza is being applauded by WHO’s country head Dr Palitha for having robust virus control measures in place

From its initiation in December in Wuhan, China to its spreading like wildfire globally to landing in Pakistan at the end of February, our government has utilised the time productively by preparing well ahead in time rather than be faced with chaos and utter confusion.It is a lesson learnt from the worst dengue episode a few months back that only subsided due to the weather transitioning from summer into winter, killing mosquitoes that were winning the battle againsthumans

Now standing at crossroads facing a new disease about which not much is known other than its mode of transmission, treatment is only symptomatic, and no vaccine is available, Pakistan released on February 12, 2020 its National Action Plan for Preparedness and Response to Coronavirus Disease (Covid-19). Its practical implementation is a credit to the present government and its timely preparedness.

The National Action Plan is a detailed document providing a blueprint as to how the virus is tackled in case of an outbreak with a comprehensive operational framework of the preparedness plan in different sectors of government and efforts for a coordinated response on national level as well as strengthening coordination between provincial and federal governments to respond to this emergency uniformly.

It is praiseworthy that the government has been able to delay the entry of the virus in Pakistan, being one of the last countries in the region to be affected. Along with its good border control strategies, and smooth media campaigns to make the public aware without creating panic is apparent with a large number of people participating in the public events and the full benches at the recent ongoing Pakistan Super League matches.

The coronaviruses (CoV) come from a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). The novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans. Being zoonotic, it is transmitted between animals and people.Common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, the infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.

The International Health Regulations Emergency Committee of WHO has already declared the outbreak a “public health emergency of international concern” (PHEIC). On January 31, 2020, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex M Azar II declared a public health emergency (PHE) for the United States to aid the nation’s healthcare community in responding to COVID-19.

So, the question arises how worried we need to be about COVID-19. According to the National Institute of Health Pakistan, Pakistan already remains on high alert for various diseases such asdengue fever, malaria, polio, chikungunya (with no vaccine or antiviral drug) or typhoid fever (incidence rate 451.7 per 100,000 persons per year). These diseases pose a more significant threat than coronavirus accompanied by other highly concerning factors such as high maternal, newborn and child death rates, poverty, hunger, and other disasters such as floods, famines, road accidents.

According to WHO’s director-general, globally, countries are working on coronavirus vaccines but protecting oneself and others require simple measures such as washing hands or cleaning them with an alcohol-based rub frequently. Maintain a social distance of at least three feet between yourself and anyone who is coughing and sneezing; avoid touching eyes nose or mouth as contaminated hands can transfer the virus; and practise good respiratory hygiene by covering your mouth and nose while coughing or sneezing. Most importantly, seek medical assistance immediately if you suffer from fever, cough and difficulty in breathing. As COVID-19 spreads with an astonishing speed, such non-pharmaceutical interventions are best to reduce and even interrupt transmission.

WHO has now also issued a warning that the infectious Covid-19 may cling to the surface of banknotes; this couldbe a new source of spreading the virus. Contactless payment methods and washing hands after touching banknotes are advised. Globally, handshake habits are now changing to reduce the risk of contracting the new virus and also to prevent its spread.

Doctors in Pakistan are also helping dispel myths around Covid-19 stating that people should not pay any heed to speculations and refrain from spreading any speculations.As the virus has now entered Pakistan’s boundaries, we should act as a united nation and come forward if anyone suspects that they or someone they knowis perhaps infected. Government has dedicated an assistance helpline 1166,listed hospitals equipped with servicesfor those in need of COVID-19 infectiontreatment andhas vast awareness campaigns in print and other forms of media to be more aware and remain up to date to protect themselves and others better.

The virus has now spread to every country except Antarctica and prevention is our safest bet.

The writer is Health Services Management from Griffith University Australia, alumina of John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health