A team of eight Chinese health experts have recommended the Sindh government to increase its COVID-19 testing capacity as it will help in isolating affected persons from healthy ones.
The team comprising critical care experts, pulmonologists, microbiologists, nursing, technical experts and pathologists met with Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, local health experts, provincial health minister Dr Azra Pechuho and other officials.
They advised the government that tougher measures are necessary to stop the spread of the virus especially in a large city like Karachi and other populated cities.
They said the virus is spreading fast in both warmer and colder areas. Africa, where the temperature is quite warm compared to other regions of the world is also affected.
“Common sense says viruses like the flu virus spread more rapidly in winters as compared to summers, but coronavirus is spreading and infecting people in the warmer regions like Africa at the same pace as in the cooler regions. Similarly, it is not sparing people of any race or the country and is affecting everybody on the earth who is not taking precautionary measures. The only option against it is prevention through social distancing and other measures,” said Ma Minghui, head of a visiting Chinese medical team, while talking to journalists in Karachi on Wednesday.
The director general health of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Ma Minghui, said that they had recommended the government to test as many people as possible and ensure ensure a lockdown and social distancing in their region.
“Expand the testing of coronavirus as much as possible and then isolate those who test positive as well as their close contacts,” he said, adding that it is essential to find out as much as possible about those who have contracted the virus and then protect others from these people by isolating them.
“We have learnt that testing is very limited in Sindh, but the government says they are trying to increase the testing capacity, which is very heartening to know,” Ma said.
The government should enforce a tougher lockdown in letter and spirit.
“Awareness is very important and people should be told that they can only avoid contracting this disease if they stay at home,” he said.
