GENEVA: The World Health Organisation (WHO) top emergency expert makesstunning claims over Coronavirus pandemic explosion in Pakistan and India.
WHO on Friday said the number of COVID-19 cases in India, Pakistan andBangladesh is increasing rapidly but the disease has not exploded in theregion.
“In South Asia, not just in India, but in Bangladesh and… Pakistan andother countries of South Asia with large dense populations, the disease hasnot exploded, but there is always the risk of that happening,” Dr MikeRyan, WHO’s top emergency expert, told a news conference.
Soumya Swaminathan, WHO’s chief scientist, noting India has a population of1.3 billion, said that the 200,000 reported cases, “look big but for acountry of this size it’s still modest”.
WHO epidemiologist Dr Maria van Kerkhove said PCR tests can show a personwith mild infection being positive for fragments of the virus 2-3 weeksafter the onset of symptoms and those with severe cases “for much longer”.”But we don’t know what that relates to in terms of infectiousness, ifsomebody can actually pass the virus,” she said.
Read Top Stories
Addressing the members of Corona Tiger Force today, Prime Minister ImranKhan today said that Pakistan cannot afford another lockdown.
“This country cannot undergo another lockdown. That’s why we need you tospread awareness,” the premier said.
