ISLAMABAD: Azad Jammu and Kashmir President Sardar Masood Khan said on Sunday he was satisfied with the efforts of various state departments and institutions to contain the coronavirus pandemic in the territory.
On Monday, a three week lockdown in the territory came into effect for its roughly 4 million residents. Khan said there were currently 90 people suspected to have contracted the disease, with two testing positive and six whose final results were awaited. No fatalities have so far been reported in the region.
“As the testing increases, there may be other cases but by and large the impact of coronavirus is less in the region,” the president told Arab News and added: “We are not facing any food shortages so far and supply chains are fully working.
The lockdown has been enforced in all big and small cities, he added, with various measures adopted for social distancing as well as to ensure little participation in religious congregations and social gatherings.
He said the government had set up quarantine centers and upgraded facilities at all major hospitals, and Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) had extended its help.
At the same time, Khan said he was deeply concerned about the spread of the pandemic across the border in Indian administered Kashmir, and urged the Indian government to immediately release thousands of Kashmiris languishing in various Indian prisons.
He said the prisons in India and Indian administered Kashmir were crowded beyond capacity.
“The outbreak of COVID-19 has necessitated immediate release of all the prisoners particularly the inmates suffering from complicated diseases,” he said.
“People in Indian Kashmir are under double lockdown,” he added and appealed to the international community, particularly the United Nations, to take strict notice of new restrictions imposed by India on the movement of citizens and on the Internet in Indian administered Kashmir.
“The people of occupied Kashmir are facing great difficulties in reaching hospitals and health facilities due to the latest Indian restrictions, and getting information about the COVID-19 due to blockade of Internet services,” he said, and warned the current state of affairs could lead to a faster spread of the virus in the Indian administered territory.
On Sunday, Pakistan’s foreign office said in a statement the humanitarian situation in Indian administered Kashmir had been dire since August last year, and called for the immediate release of Kashmiri prisoners and the lifting of restrictions in the territory in the wake of the deadly new pandemic sweeping the world.
The total number of Covid-19 cases in India crossed the 1,000 mark on Sunday with around 33 cases in Indian administered Kashmir.
Lockdown to stem virus in Azad Kashmir so far effective, says president
https://arab.news/c6a85
Lockdown to stem virus in Azad Kashmir so far effective, says president
- Says 90 suspected cases in region with two testing positive so far
- Khan urged Indian government to immediately release thousands of Kashmiris languishing in Indian prisons
’Super Flu’: Pakistan confirms presence of fast-spreading H3N2 influenza strain
- Health authorities say virus is not new but shows higher transmission rate
- WHO reports global rise in seasonal influenza cases, especially in Europe
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani health authorities on Monday confirmed the presence of the H3N2 influenza strain, often referred to as a fast-spreading “super flu,” in the country, but stressed there was no cause for panic, saying the virus is not new and remains manageable with standard treatment and vaccination.
Officials said the strain is part of seasonal influenza viruses that circulate globally each year and has undergone genetic changes that make it spread more quickly, a pattern health experts say is common for influenza.
The confirmation comes as the World Health Organization (WHO) reports a global increase in seasonal influenza activity in recent months, with a growing proportion of influenza A(H3N2) cases detected, particularly across several European countries, including the United Kingdom.
“Yes, we have witnessed confirmed cases of H3N2 influenza (super Flu) in Pakistan since November this year. Out of total around 1,691 cases reported throughout Pakistan since last month, 12 percent are of the so called super flu,” Dr. Shafiq-Ur-Rahman, Senior Scientific Officer at Pakistan’s Center for Disease Control (CDC), told Arab News.
He said the virus had undergone a genetic drift, a gradual mutation that is typical of influenza viruses.
“The symptoms are similar to other influenza strains, but speed of transmission is high for H3N2,” Rahman said, adding that treatment remains the same as for other flu types and vaccination is critical to limiting spread.
Seasonal influenza is an acute respiratory infection caused by influenza viruses that circulate year-round worldwide. The WHO has stressed that influenza continues to evolve through gradual genetic changes, making ongoing surveillance and regular vaccine updates essential.
Influenza spreads easily through droplets when infected people cough or sneeze. While most individuals recover within a week without medical treatment, the illness can range from mild to severe and may result in hospitalization or death, particularly among high-risk groups such as young children, older adults, pregnant women and people with underlying health conditions.
Doctors say early symptoms of the flu can resemble those of the common cold, but the progression often differs. Colds typically develop gradually, beginning with a runny or blocked nose, sneezing and sore throat, followed by mild coughing and fatigue.
Flu symptoms, however, tend to appear suddenly and more intensely, with patients often experiencing high fever, extreme tiredness, body aches, headaches and a dry cough.
Health experts say this abrupt and severe onset is usually the clearest indication that an illness is influenza rather than a common cold, which is generally milder and slower to develop.
