Looming 6th wave

It was only a matter of time that the Covid-19 virus would strike back. With the country witnessing a sudden rise in cases over the past week, we could very well be on our way towards a sixth wave. The NIH has reported that 268 out of 12,513 tests conducted on 23 June came out positive with the southern part of the country recording more than half of these cases. Moreover, alarming reports indicate that the positivity ratio in Karachi has spiked to a massive 21.23% — with 138 new cases following 650 PCR tests. In light of the deteriorating situation, it is commendable that the Sindh government did not waste time in reinstating non-pharmaceutical intervention (NPI) guidelines for Karachi.

In an attempt to mitigate the rising trend of cases, the guidelines will include wearing of masks, social distancing at public gatherings, and the reduction of passenger occupancy in public transport to 70%. LEAs will also be checking vaccination cards in high-risk areas. While no hospitalisations have occurred as of yet in Sindh, there are some 80 Covid patients under intensive care across rest of the country. With successful vaccination campaigns being held in the past, there is no doubt that Sindh’s DG Health will be able to bolster Rapid Response Units for Covid-19 sampling and vaccination, especially booster shots.

It seems that authorities have learnt from the past and are in control of the situation. But any laxity could lead to the situation getting out of hand. While authorities are playing their part, the responsibility also lies with citizens to cooperate. Only through mutual cooperation were we able to get past the deadliest of waves, and the same can be done now as well. We must stop believing in myths that the Covid-19 virus is gone for good and instead rely on scientific and expert knowledge on the matter. Covid-19 is here to stay. It will be less deadly with each passing year if we continue to vaccine and take necessary precautions