As soon as the weather was changing and the winters were approaching, we knew it wasn’t a very good sign in the times of COVID19 pandemic. It was a while ago when we finally thought the first wave was over and just when we started enjoying the time a little away from COVID19, there it was waiting for us again. Second wave was predicted way before the first one ended. The first wave already took so many of our loved ones away from us that even the thought of second wave shook us all. The, the time was finally here when from less than 300 cases per day we saw it shooting to approximately 2000+ cases. It is time when we can officially say that Pakistan is facing a second COVID19 wave. The authorities since the very beginning are urging the public to follow the SOPs to keep themselves and others safe. According to the healthcare experts, the country is in a very strong grip of the COVID19 second wave. which can be more lethal than the first one. Whereas some say that both the waves have by far affected the masses in the same way. The only difference was the weather. As compared to the previous wave, this time most people instead of rushing to hospitals preferred home isolation. Patients with only severe symptoms were brought to hospitals during the period of second wave. The question is, what has kept them home? Was it online consultations? The Reasons Why We Experienced Second Wave Too Early As according to the authorities, this wave is, expected to last longer than before because of the low temperature. Moreover, it might see peak towards the end of December and that may stay throughout January. But the problem is, after the first wave ended, we never really cared about SOPs and partied like COVID19 never existed. Large Gatherings The political parties, despite making fun of the strategies by the government to combat this pandemic, played their full role in spreading it. Religious congregations, sermons, political rallies continues all over the country with little or no regard for the pandemic restrictions. Dine-ins As soon as the lockdown ended, we rushed to the restaurants to dine-in and to enjoy all the pending meet-ups that were pending since a few months. Little did we know how we were violating all the protocols for this COVI19 pandemic. Wedding Ceremonies Winter are always the wedding season in Pakistan, and although there is a very strict ban imposed on such ceremonies by the government, there are still various large-scale weddings indoor weddings would continue to take place amid the second pandemic wave. Is Our Healthcare System Strong Enough To Deal With It? We all know that the healthcare system in Pakistan is not strong enough to deal with an even worse hit than before. The hospitals are already short of beds. Medical and paramedical staff are also getting infected by COVID19. Moreover, there’s also a shortage of protective gear to treat COVID19 patients. All we can now do is to stay home as keep ourselves safe as much as we can. If Patients Are Not Going To Hospitals, Who’re They Consulting To? After the first wave, many people have decided to stay at home as hospitals had become a hub of COVID19 infection. The second solution people were looking forward to was telehealth. Telehealth connects patients with doctors by an online facility when in-person appointments are not possible or safe. Moreover, telemedicine has various other benefits. During the time of COVID19 pandemic, the spotlight immediately shifted towards telehealth services and how it is changing lives. As soon as the COVID19 first wave arrived, many multinational companies shifted their in-person services to telehealth services and had invested a lot in tele medicine. Since then, telemedicine has been saving lives by shielding those who have not been infected. Telemedicine services were already in a process of establishing itself as a standard medium of care prior to COVID19. But during the pandemic times, it has become the first priority. Talking to a doctor through video consultation was a concept unknown to many. In short, telemedicine services has saved lives and helped keep our healthcare system going. As we move forward, telemedicine will simply be a part of how routine healthcare is delivered. Here Is How You Can Find Telemedicine Services In Pakistan! Just like other developed countries in the world were rapidly shifting to the telemedicine services, Pakistan badly needing one too. Marham.pk a healthcare service platform were the first ever in Pakistan that introduced the concept of online consultations. Even months before COVID19 pandemic hit the world, Marham was offering online audio/video consultations and already had helped thousand of people to connect to their healthcare provider. Similarly, in the time of COVID19 pandemic lockdown, they successfully saved thousand of lives again by keeping people at home and giving them opportunity to talk to their doctor through calls. Online consultations by Marham.pk are still helping so many nationwide. Do you want to know more?