Chinese Red Cross approached for providing chemicals used for isolating virus

Renowned singer and Chairman Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) Abrar-ul-Haq has said that Pakistan lacks capability to detect and diagnose novel Coronavirus at the moment and in this regard, Pakistan has approached the Chinese Red Cross and urged it to urgently provide the chemicals, which are used for the isolating the Coronavirus that has wreaked havoc in China.

"Being a neighbouring country and having close cultural, business and friendly relations with China, Pakistan is very concerned about emergence of Coronavirus and deaths due to it. We want to prevent this lethal virus from entering into our country and in this regard, Pakistan Red Crescent Society is ready to paly its role in the country," said Abrar-ul-Haq, renowned singer and Chairman, PRCS while addressing a hurriedly-called press conference at Karachi Press Club (KPC) on Tuesday.

Accompanied by Kanwar Waseem, Secretary of the PRCS Sindh, Abrar-ul-Haq said despite reporting of some suspected cases of Coronavirus from Multan and Karachi, no confirmed case of the Coronocavirus has been reported anywhere in Pakistan but due to frequent traveling between Pakistan and China, Pakistan is at a high risk of importing this lethal virus from China.

"As there is no system of detection of this deadly virus in Pakistan and no cure or vaccine against it, it is our responsibility to prevent its import into the country at every cost and if, God forbids, the virus manages to reach Pakistan, preventing its spread among the common people," Abrar-ul-Haq said and added that awareness was the most effective method to prevent the spread of deadly Corona and other lethal virus among the people.

Abrar-ul-Haq maintained that PRCS had mobilized its volunteers throughout the Pakistan, who would be creating awareness among people on preventive measures, training people to use precautionary measures to avoid contracting flu and similar viral ailments, helping hospitals in establishment of isolation rooms and wards and providing the necessary supportive medicines and personal protective equipments (PPE) to the health facilities' staff.

"The Pakistan Red Crescent Society is also going to establish the quick response units at all its provincial centers to assist the provincial governments and local health authorities in dealing with any emergency while a helpline would also be established to provide necessary information to people," he said, adding they had also decided to prepared awareness literature in the national and all the regional languages and distribute it among people.

Urging people to use the social media to spread the word against Coronavirus, he said by adopting basic antiquates which including covering nose and mouth while coughing or sneezing, using masks, washing hands regularly and avoiding pet animals as much as possible, people could prevent themselves from contracting the Coronavirus, which spreads through nasal and oral droplets.

"We have been informed that this virus causes symptoms similar to flu and influenza including fever, coughing and difficulty in breathing but this lethal virus also causes pneumonia like illness which damages the lungs and in serious conditions, patient even die," he said, adding that although mortality due to this virus was not as much high, it was still being considered as major public health issue in the world.