Road to recovery
More than 87% of people infected with Covid-19 coronavirus in Pakistan have defeated the deadly disease – in what is indeed a matter of great satisfaction for the whole nation. As of yesterday, 236,596 Covid-19 patients out of a total of 271,887 reported cases in the country – i.e. 87.01% – have recovered from the lethal contagion that has claimed the lives of 5,787 Pakistanis with 1,294 still in critical condition. While there were 1,487 new cases of the disease over the last 24 hours, the number of patients having recovered during the same time period stands far higher, at 16,813. With the same rate of new and recovered cases, there are all expectations that the remaining 35,000 or so patients of the infection will soon get healthy.
It, therefore, seems to be a matter of days that Prime Minister Imran Khan may be able to announce Pakistan Covid-free, provided that the prescribed standard operating procedures continue to be followed in a proper manner, especially during the approaching Eid-ul-Azha festival and the holy month of Muharaam. The same has also been advised by Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar who is also the chair of the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC), the nerve centre to synergise and articulate unified national effort against the coronavirus and to implement the decisions of the National Coordination Committee on Covid-19.
Even though the progress against the deadly microbe in the country is encouraging, there is no room at all for complacency. All including the government, the healthcare practitioners and the public are required to exercise continued care and caution. Even after getting Covid-free, we all need to be vigilant in order to avoid a second wave of the virus, and keep all precautions in place till the time a vaccine is not available. It’s indeed time to thank our medical professionals for the selfless sacrifice they continue to render in order to save the lives of their compatriots. According to figures compiled by the medical fraternity at the start of this month, at least 63 healthcare practitioners – including 52 doctors, six nurses and several technicians – have laid down their lives fighting the virus while hundreds of others have fallen sick. We salute our heroes.