COVID Watch | 16th July 2020

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COVID Watch

Unexplained decline in COVID-19 cases

Health experts and officials speculate that a combination of various factors may have contributed to the development of a non-specific immunity amongst Pakistanis which may be the reason why for rapidly declining COVID-19 cases and low fatality count. These factors include exposure to multiple vaccines for diseases such as polio, hepatitis and typhoid which have been otherwise eliminated in the rest of the developed world, environmental factors such as high humidity during monsoons, and possibly the development of herd immunity.

However, experts warn that although the virus may seem to be “in remission”, this does not mean that the pandemic is over. Moreover, due to limited research, it is difficult to ascertain facts and that the possibility of local immunity should be considered a theory, and not fact.

The federal government claims that the decline in cases is attributed to smart lockdowns and successful coronavirus awareness campaigns that have allowed for better implementation of health guideline and precautions. While on the other hand, opposition members claim that fewer tests are being conducted to “artificially flatten the curve”.

Rural dwellers claim to be unaffected by Covid-19

Many residents of remote, rural areas are unbothered by the contagion, which has not affected many of their villages. Most villagers are sans masks in public spaces and the concept of social distancing is apparently unheard of.

150 more police personnel contract Covid-19

According to a Sindh police spokesman, 150 more Karachi police personnel tested positive for the novel coronavirus disease were in the past two days. This has brought up the total number of infected policemen in the province to 2,360. Of this group, 1,649 police officials are undergoing treatment, 695 have recovered and 16 have succumbed to the disease.