KARACHI: While the mass vaccination against Covid-19 and the natural immunity built against the virus will likely help prevent return of the infection in the form of a pandemic, outbreaks in pockets will continue across the world, though with less severity.
The disease has also ‘shaped’ certain illnesses that will continue to affect lives of some recovered patients.
This was stated by experts at a seminar titled Covid-19: End of Pandemic? organised by the Infection Control Society of Pakistan (ICSP) at the Dow Medical College on Tuesday.
Presenting local and international perspective on Covid-19, Prof Nizam Damani, a senior consultant at the Infection Prevention Control Unit of WHO, said majority of the countries including Pakistan were reporting significant reduction in the number of Covid-19 cases and spread of the virus.
“The situation has improved due to mass vaccination drives and the natural immunity built against the virus in recovered patients,” he said, adding that the virus would continue to undergo changes.
ICSP president Prof Rafiq Khanani shared that some 10 per cent of the patients, who contracted coronavirus over the past two years, would continue to experience symptoms that appeared unrelated to Covid-19.
“The disease has shaped certain illnesses involving heart, lungs and neuropsychiatric health and will continue to affect lives of some 10 per cent of the recovered patients,” he said.
Prof Khanani also talked about the challenge posed by drug-resistant germs and called for urgent measures in this respect.
Prof Saeed Khan, a professor of pathology and focal person of Covid-19 testing at Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS), emphasised the need for setting up an active surveillance system for all major diseases.
“Early detection plays a key role in limiting the spread of an infectious disease. We have also learnt from the pandemic that skilled manpower is important in prevention and disease treatment and management,” he said.
Giving her presentation on the subject, Prof Tehreem Ansari of DUHS said Pakistan despite having limited resources had fought the war against Covid better than some developed countries.
“The healthcare workers, despite having lot of challenges, stood tall and worked tirelessly. The strategy to involve subject experts and law enforcement agencies, have a multidisciplinary approach, use technology and set up coordination centre worked well for us,” said Prof Ansari.
Published in Dawn, March 30th, 2022