New Covid-19 variant detected at Karachi airport

Sindh Health Department says two passengers show suspicious symptoms; no cases found in province

KARACHI:

The Sindh Health Department on Friday confirmed the presence of a new variant of Covid-19 in two passengers arriving from overseas at Karachi Airport.

However, it clarified that no cases of the variant have been reported within the Sindh province.

The department has heightened its vigilance and response to address the emergence of this new variant of coronavirus.

According to the department's spokesperson, they are closely monitoring the situation in Punjab, remaining vigilant in the wake of the advisory issued by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) regarding the new variant in Sindh.

Read more: NIH issues advisory on new Covid variant

The Punjab health department has also been placed on alert as a precautionary measure.

Reportedly, the new variant of Covid-19, though not deemed dangerous, presents symptoms such as cold, cough, and headache. Efforts are underway to identify and test suspected passengers arriving from abroad at various airports.

Thus far, two passengers have displayed symptoms warranting further evaluation.

One of the affected passengers, a 53-year-old individual from Qasimabad District, Hyderabad, arrived in Karachi from Kuala Lumpur. Their permanent residence is in Sanghar District.

Also read: Return of Covid-19

The second passenger, aged 60 and a resident of DG Khan, Punjab, arrived from Jeddah. Both individuals have been strictly instructed to observe home quarantine measures.

The confirmation of the variant’s presence came after Health Minister Dr Nadeem Jan told the Senate earlier in the day that the nation had not yet detected any instances of the novel Covid-19 variant, JN.1 Omicron, but stressed that a high level of vigilance was in place.

Earlier, the federal government decided to secure 500,000 doses of a Covid vaccine in response to the potential resurgence of the new variant observed in multiple countries.

The procurement strategy for Pfizer vaccines from the US was devised based on recommendations from the Emergency Operation Centre’s (EOC) technical advisory group.