IN a development that ought to be watched closely by the authorities, Covid-19 infections saw a sudden increase in a span of 24 hours, with 168 new cases detected. It has pushed the national positivity rate to 3pc — the highest since September 2022 — with cities like Karachi and Islamabad exceeding 5pc and 6pc respectively. Though officials are saying that the mortality rate of the current strain is low, at least one Covid-19-related death has been reported in Lahore. The patient was an elderly woman who came to hospital with shortness of breath, and it is unclear if she had been fully vaccinated. Regardless, her death from Covid-19 marks the first coronavirus-related death in 2023. Authorities suggest that people should not panic as young and even middle-aged Covid-19 patients are unlikely to experience serious complications from the new strain. But, as we have always feared with this virus, the elderly and the immunocompromised — such as patients with diabetes, cancer and heart disease — are at risk of serious illness or even death.

In this scenario, and given the current positivity rates, health authorities need to do more than just telling people to ‘not panic’. Mask-wearing must become mandatory, especially as Ramazan is underway and public gatherings are common. The NCOC must go back to its awareness campaigns of the past, and send the message that prevention and precaution are critical. It is a great relief that the WHO last week foresaw that the Covid-19 emergency will end this year, and that the world is reaching a point where Covid-19 can be seen the same way as seasonal influenza. It said that while the virus will remain a threat, it won’t be viewed any longer as one that is ‘disrupting society and hospital systems’. No doubt this is welcome news, but in a country like Pakistan which has one of the world’s highest rates of diabetes, officials must continue to urge vigilance.

Published in Dawn, March 25th, 2023