KARACHI: The metropolis saw death of six more coronavirus patients on the second straight day on Tuesday and increase in the number of critical patients from 260 to 297, indicating growing pressure on hospitals.

According to the data released from the Chief Minister House on Tuesday evening, the Omicron-driven fifth wave of the coronavirus claimed six more lives in the metropolis over the last 24 hours during which the number of critical patients requiring intensive care in hospitals rose to 297.

A day earlier, the number of critical patients stood at 260 with six deaths.

A total of 3,283 new cases emerged across the province. Of them, total 2,829 cases were reported in Karachi.

The figures revealed that Karachi’s share in the total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in Sindh rose from 76 per cent to 88pc in 48 hours during which a total of 35,636 coronavirus tests were conducted.

In recent days, however, Karachi’s contribution to total Covid-19 cases in the country had declined and stood at 57pc on Tuesday. The change in pattern is, apparently, due to detection of a growing number of coronavirus cases in other parts of the country.

“A lot of (Covid-19) patients are reporting at the hospital (looking for admission). Most of them are older people with co-morbidities,” said Dr Abdul Wahid Rajput, Medical Superintendent of the Sindh Infectious Disease Hospital and Research Centre.

He added that 10 patients were being admitted daily.

The hospital is the only state-of-the-art tertiary care facility in the province dedicated to Covid-19 patients. The treatment is provided free of cost.

“We don’t refuse any patient. Sixty beds are now occupied out of the 150. This includes some young patients with mild symptoms who want to be looked after at a healthcare facility, fearing that they might infect other family members,” he said.

According to Dr Rajput, the hospital has received many cases in which a whole family got infected after one member was diagnosed with Covid-19.

“The situation of patient admission is more or less the same in other hospitals. It’s true that most cases are not severe, but the Omicron variant has high infectivity that could be gauged from the fact that 30pc of our patients were fully vaccinated,” he explained.

Looking at the current Covid-19 trend, Dr Rajput suggested, the cases would peak next month.

Over 1,000 cases in district East

Official figures show that district East reported 1,054 cases (37pc) out of the total 2,829 cases reported in Karachi.

District South had 937 cases, Central 464, Malir 153, West 127 and Korangi 94.

Hyderabad had 107 cases, Qamber 31, Shikarpur 30, Jamshoro and Thatta 25 each, Sukkur 23, Jacobabad 22, Ghotki 17, Shaheed Benazirabad 14, Matiari and Sanghar 12 each, Badin and Tharparkar 11 each, Umerkot nine, Larkana and Mirpurkhas seven each, Khairpur and Naushahro Feroze six each and Tando Allahyar five.

With six more deaths, the Covid-19 mortalities rose to 7,709 that constituted a 1.5pc death rate. The Covid-19 detection rate stood at 1.9pc.

“So far 7,385,949 tests have been conducted against which 507,476 cases were diagnosed. Of them 93.2pc or 472,739 patients have recovered, including 215 overnight.

“Currently 27,028 patients are under treatment. Of them 26,662 are in home isolation, 25 at isolation centres and 341 at different hospitals. The condition of 297 patients is stated to be critical, including 23 patients who have been shifted to ventilators,” the official statement said.

Published in Dawn, January 19th, 2022