The government of Pakistan Wednesday confirmed that four Pakistani students in China have been positively diagnosed with coronavirus. Addressing a press conference here, Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Health Dr Zafar Mirza stated that so far four Pakistani students studying in China's Wuhan have been diagnosed with coronavirus.
"Four students have been confirmed to have the coronavirus. Their condition is better now," Dr Zafar Mirza said. He said that health ministry is in contact with the Pakistani embassy in Beijing. "Pakistani officials in China are in constant touch with all the students," he said. However until now there is no reported case in Pakistan, Mirza said.
The SAPM, however, refused to share the names of the affected students with the media. "The government will take good care of the students who have contracted the virus," he said at the presser.
He said that there was a wide spread concern over novel coronavirus disease and in this regard World Health Organization (WHO) called two emergency meetings to review the situation in China and elsewhere. He said that WHO also released certain instructions to its members' states on the disease. "Pakistan is strictly following these instructions. We have to deal with the possibility of spread of this disease as a national emergency and all those measures must be taken."
He said the government has established national emergency operation center and activated national task force on international health regulations, besides creating national coronavirus emergency core committee in which all ministries and sectors are represented.
He said that SOPs have been developed to manage the inflow of the international passengers and examine some signs and symptoms in order to put those suspected people under observation, besides isolating them in designated healthcare facilities and screening at ports of entry (POE).
The SAPM said that the government has reinforced its facilities for screening at the ports of entry. "We are on high alert and have taken measures we need to be taken as a responsible government and there are clear instructions from the Prime Minister in this regard."
He said that only three percent fatality rate has been reported from this disease where cases are reported as many patients are gradually recovering in hospitals.
He said that one suspected case is admitted in isolation in Multan whose clinical condition is stable and it does not seem to be a case of coronavirus and his relevant samples have been taken.
He said that emergency operation cell at the Federal Health Ministry is monitoring the situation round-the-clock. "Let me assure the people that the government is closely monitoring the situation and all necessary measures are being taken to screen all travellers from China and providing medical care where required."
He said thermos scanners and thermo guns have been provided to the well trained health staff at airports in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad to screen all passengers.
He urged the media to play due role in creating awareness on the issue among the masses so that preventive measures can be adopted, further requesting the media to avoid speculations on the spread of virus in Pakistan. He said that irresponsible reporting about outbreak of fatal disease in the country could add miseries to the masses. "We expect responsible reporting by the media. Please do not add nation's anxiety about coronavirus and meticulously check facts before reporting."
He said there is absolutely no cause for panic or alarm. People need to take simple precautions for prevention against the common flu like covering the nose and mouth while coughing and sneezing, frequent hand washing for 20 seconds with soap, and avoiding close contact with sick people, animals, touching eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands, he added.
He said coronavirus is a new respiratory virus first discovered in Wuhan, Hebei province of China on January 7 this year which, so far, has claimed over 131 lives in China and positive cases have been reported in other parts of the world, including Europe and America.
Responding to a question as to why the government of Pakistan is not evacuating Pakistani students studying in Wuhan, Foreign Office Spokesperson Aisha Farooqui said, "This is a national effort for which the leading agency is the Ministry of Health." She said all decisions on the next course of action will be taken by the technical committee of all stakeholders and the prime minister. Meanwhile, reports claimed that the WhatsApp group created by the Pakistani students in China has now been suspended.
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