Estimates 670,800 Coronavirus cases in Lahore alone : Summary to CM Punjab

Picture Source: Reuters

Estimates 670,800 cases in Lahore alone : Summary to CM Punjab 

The exponential spread Of COVID-19 around the globe has become a real challenge for humanity. Decision makers, including those in Pakistan, are perplexed with the ambivalent nature of the virus. Although the Government of Punjab initiated its response to combat the virus at quite an early stage by sensitizing public about its severity, enhancing the testing capacity and strengthening its hospital capacity viz-a-viz bed strength yet numerous milestones on this count have to be envisioned, planned and achieved in the days to come. COVID-19 has already been declared as a serious and imminent threat to public health requiring restriction on movement, gatherings and business-linked activities. However, public health emergency also necessitates to strike a balance the economic sustenance and prudent health interventions to save precious lives.

1. The results of the tests from Lahore show that 6% of all tested were positive with few towns showing positive as high as 14.7%. Considering this sample as a true representative of Lahore's population (11.18 million), the actual new cases during this exercise in Lahore are estimated at These cases being asymptomatic could not be reported to the health facilities but became the main source of infection and local transmission.

2. The data retrieved from various hotspots including workplaces and residential areas was comparable (5.18% vs. 6.01%). The town-wise break-up shows a value of more than 3% for all towns, except Wagha Town, and ranges between 2.11 to 9.33%, thereby, refuting the justification of zoning and smart lockdown. This means that no workplace and residential area of any town is disease-free and, as such, entire Lahore exhibits an alarmingly similar transmission pattern

3. It is also notable that while looking at the ageing break up, the most seriously hit age group is above 50 years. As reflected in the international literature, highest mortality of COVID-19 has been reported in of 55 years or above worldwide.