At least 541 coronavirus cases were reported over the last 24 hours, the highest tally in the past three months, the National Institute of Health said. Though the Covid trend was increasing, the death toll was still low as one expiry of the patient was reported.

“Total tests in last 24 hours: 15,462; positive cases: 541; positivity %: 3.50%; deaths: 01; patients on critical care: 100,” it said in a tweet on Wednesday. The last time Pakistan reported more than 600 virus cases were on March 13.

The prevailing coronavirus situation prompted the Civil Aviation Authority earlier this week to make masks mandatory on domestic flights.

Karachi, Pakistan’s economic hub, has been the hardest hit because of an uptick. In order to stem the spread, the National Command and Operation Centre has decided to formulate a strategy at the provincial level.

Preventive measures

• Increase testing
• Contact tracing
• Implementation of non-pharmaceutical interventions, especially mask-wearing at all crowded places, and domestic travel by air, railways, or road

The World Health Organisation has urged people to avoid “3Cs” to stay protected.

• Crowded places
• Close-contact settings
• Confined and enclosed spaces with poor ventilation

Avoid self-medication

Dr Qaiser Sajjad, the secretary general of the Pakistan Medical Association, urged the people to avoid self-medication when they get infected or sick.

Dr Sajjad had joined the Aaj News morning show to speak on the Covid situation. “It’s on the doctor to recommend any anti-biotic to the patient or not. Sometimes they suggest medicine in view of the situation that the patient can get infected in the future.”

“When the Covid restrictions were put off and people avoided wearing masks, we suggested that it was not and the sixth layer of the virus was expected,” he said, adding that it appears like Omicron’s sub-variant was spreading in Pakistan.

Dr Sajjad, who is also an ENT specialist, said: “Within two to three hours, the person next to you complains about, sneezing, sore throat, and flu when an infected person gets near to him. And, the next day that person’ complains about fever.”

To a query on negative Covid tests in case of fever and other symptoms, the secretary general stressed the need for a modern virology lab. He also urges media persons to avoid taking companies’ names when speaking about the paracetamol tablet, as it leads to a shortage of medicine in the market.