Pakistan is currently experiencing a fourth wave of the coronavirus pandemic that has seen the number of infections as well as fatalities jump up steadily across the country, but particularly in Karachi and Sindh. The Sindh government, in this regard, has imposed a ‘strict lockdown’ to contain the outbreak.
However, in my point of view, complete lockdown is not the solution. The working class, the labourers have to pay the price of this. Following the SOPs and enforcing smart lockdowns in hotspot areas was the only way to tackle the spread of the deadly virus. We have seen success with this strategy time and again.
Another mistake our government is making by spreading panic and fear of coronavirus. Due to this, stress will be developed among the citizens, which will weaken the immune system. Doctors around the world warned that people should not feel stressed at any circumstances.
When Prime Minister Imran Khan said the same thing, ‘Ghabrana Nhi Hai’, the Opposition and social media trolled him. But the reality is we should not be stressed and should fight with coronavirus by following precautionary measures.
Meanwhile, the federal and Sindh governments are not on the same page in the fight against COVID-19. The internal rift among the governments has caused a disturbance, which will directly affect people. In order to successfully contain the deadly virus, the Centre and the provincial government should join hands to formulate policies in this regard.
True, vaccination is underway, but the pace is far too slow for large swathes of the population to have achieved immunity. Almost 4m people in the country are fully vaccinated, while the government’s target is 70m vaccinated, adults.
In the first three waves, a combination of luck and smart lockdowns meant that Pakistan, fortunately, escaped the devastating scenarios that were witnessed in parts of Europe and India. However, this time, with the spread of the Delta variant, the fear that mass infections will cripple communities and healthcare infrastructure is frighteningly real.
Meanwhile, it is being reported that the cholesterol level of people, who are recovered from coronavirus, is increasing. With higher cholesterol levels, there is greater risk of coronary heart disease and strokes. In this regard, after recovering from coronavirus, people should get a complete medical checkup, including a test of cholesterol.
Pakistan is lucky not to have plunged into an all-out disaster, but a variant such as Delta can take us there. In India, 55pc of deaths were caused by variants of concern. If people do not follow the SOPs or get vaccinated, the present wave of infections could overwhelm the existing healthcare infrastructure.
