KARACHI: Dr S.M Qaisar Sajjad, Honorary Secretary-General, Pakistan Medical Association (Centre), expressed that statistics showed the number of registered cases only whereas he expected that including the unregistered cases, the number of positive cases was far more.
Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) was very much concerned over the gravely increasing positivity ratio of COVID-19 due to the Omicron virus throughout the country. The situation in Karachi was worrisome ratio had gone to 40 per cent.
He asserted that “the symptoms of the disease are flu, throat pain, high-grade fever, body ache especially severe pain in legs and loss of appetite. Although the severity of the disease and symptoms due to Omicron are mild to moderate, the symptoms could last within five to six days, but it could lead to severe illness”.
He added that PMA worried that Omicron might change its behaviour and become fatal and severe. The presence of the delta virus was another threat because these two viruses could mutate into another fatal variant. The following two to three weeks could be hazardous, so he urged that all citizens had to be very careful because the cases could increase multiple times.
He articulated that the COVID-19 situation in the country was worsening. He suggested the government to take appropriate steps to thwart COVID-19 immediately. Government should at once rigorously enforce SOPs. Events with large gatherings like musical concerts, public political meetings and sit-ins should be prohibited. Marriage functions should be limited to 200 guests only with strict SOPs. Vaccination Cards should be checked at restaurants, marriage halls, shopping malls, cinema halls, amusement parks and other places. Government should find and punish those people who do not observe SOPs.