KARACHI: Meeting of the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) was held recently at PMA House, Karachi, to deliberate the COVID-19 situation in the country as a new variant of COVID-19, Omicron, had been detected.
The meeting was presided over by Dr Salma Aslam Kundi, President, PMA Centre. The meeting was attended by Dr S.M.Qaisar Sajjad, Honorary Secretary General, PMA Centre, Dr Qazi Wasiq, Treasurer, PMA Centre, Dr Syed Tipu Sultan, Former President, PMA Centre, Dr Mirza Ali Azhar, President, PMA Sindh, Dr Abdul Ghafoor Shoro, General Secretary, PMA Karachi, Dr Hamid Manzoor and senior members of PMA.
The members expressed their concerns over the detection of the latest mutation of COVID-19 in South Africa, namely Omicron, which had caused appalling situations worldwide as its transmission is very high with mild symptoms. The World Health Organization (WHO) had urged the countries to take reasonable measures to tackle the Omicron. This new variant had now been detected in at least 19 countries. The sovereign states that had reported Omicron cases are Australia, Austria, Belgium, Botswana, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Hong Kong, Israel, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Portugal, Reunion, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
According to Dr Angelique Coetzee, The Chairperson of the South African Medical Association and a senior Family Physician at Pretoria city for the last 33 years, the situation is not of enormous concern. The cases she has observed so far are mild. Its transmissibility is more or less the same as the UK Delta Variant. Furthermore, she was moderately assertive that the severity of infection would stay low. Dr Coetzee is the doctor who first reported the patient with Omicron. Initially, she examination a dozen patients, primarily men and a six-year-old child, with raised pulse rate and mild fatigue, exhaustion, and fever symptoms. However, she does not rule out the seriousness of the ailment because it would take six to seven days to observe and derive results.
In these circumstances, PMA again warned the government to be prepared and heedful and immediately take deterrent measures to avert this variant entering into Pakistan. PMA strongly suggests the government to ameliorate the facilities at airports and other entry points of the state to scan and monitor the passengers and resume rapid antigen COVID-19 test or PCR at airports, notably monitoring the passengers arriving from high-risk countries. If anybody is found with symptoms of COVID-19, it should be quarantined at entry points for monitoring. The patients who tested positive for COVID-19 should be kept in isolation facilities.
PMA further requested the government to take all the necessary measures to thwart the threat of Omicron and immediately implement SOPs strictly. Residents should try to circumvent any situation that could lead to worsening the COVID-19 situation in the country. PMA fears that negligence by common people could engender the 5th wave of COVID-19.
Subsequently, PMA requested the public to adopt preventive measures like wearing masks in crowded places, following social distancing, washing or sanitising hands with proper intervals, avoiding handshake and hugging.
Additionally, PMA requested people to get vaccinated as soon as possible. Non-compliance with their instructions could result in an upsurge of COVID-19 cases. PMA appreciates federal and especially the Government of Sindh for providing booster dosage free of cost. They believe that unless 80 per cent population of the world is not vaccinated, inhabitants of this globe could continuously face different variants of COVID-19.