By Sadar Khan Niazi
Five more people expired from COVID-19 in Pakistan overnight, bringing the country’s total Covid death toll to 30,445, according to data from the National Institute of Health, Islamabad. Covid cases are declining in Pakistan, but media reports are projecting a new Omicron wave similar to what we have seen in Europe and some US states. It will start in August. Media reports have confirmed that Pakistan is about to enter its new wave of Covid infections. All institutions and individuals must come together to practice health safety rules vehemently.
In addition to a reluctance towards mask-wearing and social distancing, many of the population seem to be in denial of the fact that the new Covid wave is nearing. Some think their fever may be due to dengue, or that their symptoms indicate only the seasonal flu. However, the recent reports prove otherwise. While the people’s attention is fixed on political affairs, the coronavirus numbers have been rising again. Authorities should respond properly to the emerging threat.
This pattern of increase – which, as an expert said, means we are about to face the new wave of coronavirus, should concern us. The question is why Covid is likely to rise again when Pakistan has vaccinated a large number of its citizens.
The persons who died had received two shots of vaccine each, while others had received a single dose. This is a case of breakthrough infection, where a vaccinated person gets Covid. If this is a sign of things to come, Pakistan, where a relatively small percentage of the population got the booster dose and where people are still generally lax in following health guidelines, has a lot to worry about. Experts say that since the coronavirus is constantly mutating, no vaccine can guarantee lifelong protection against it. Two Omicron sub-variants, which are already causing havoc in a number of countries, are feared to be behind the rise of infections.
These new variants are highly infectious if not highly dangerous. However, the effect of a vaccine, or the antibody produced from one’s exposure to infections, gradually wears off after a certain period.
This makes it extremely important that we follow health guidelines at all times even after vaccination, and that the majority of the population are given the booster dose and more doses if the pandemic persists as soon as possible. Part of the problem in Pakistan is people’s indifference to testing. Earlier, when the pandemic was at its peak, there was some interest in voluntary testing but that, especially after vaccination, seems to have largely dissipated. This has to change. The authorities must launch a new drive to raise awareness of testing and other Covid precautions if we are to handle the new wave effectively. At the same time, strengthen the nationwide testing and vaccination programs further. Following health guidelines, especially wearing masks in public and maintaining a safe distance, should be made mandatory again.
The coronavirus is something that is here to stay, and will only mutate to take different, often more dangerous, forms. To combat this, it is crucial that the population stays up-to-date on their Covid vaccines, as every dose eventually wears off exposing a person to higher chances of being infected. As such, only our vigilance through daily health safety measures and receiving vaccines can prevent the virus from devouring numerous lives and livelihoods, as it has done in the past. We urge the authorities to ensure that health and safety rules are strictly enforced at shopping malls, kitchen markets, and on public transport vehicles and that a thorough and efficient vaccine drive is conducted to safeguard the population against the new wave of the Covid virus.
