Pakistani doctors have emerged as the most-affected ones by coronavirus among their healthcare peers, including paramedics and nurses, according to a May 4 situation report by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Of the 509 healthcare workers affected by the novel coronavirus, there were 263 doctors (52%), 171 paramedics (33%), and 75 nurses (15%). In total, they form almost 2.5% of Pakistan’s almost 21,000 COVID-19 cases.
Some 2,663 contacts of the healthcare workers were identified, according to the WHO, and 2,499 of them were tested for the virus. Of those who were tested, 194 were diagnosed as positive and the results of 234 were awaited.
On the other hand, 1,607 of the contacts were in quarantine; it was not clear if they were in the isolation facilities or quarantined at their respective homes.
The report also identified other important points of the coronavirus crisis in Pakistan, where almost 5,600 people have recovered cumulatively so far.
Daily cases above 800 since April 28
Some 173, or 4.5%, of the 3,839 confirmed cases currently in hospitals were in critical condition. More than 10,000 were in self-isolation.
The WHO report highlighted that since April 28, the number of COVID-19 cases reported each day across Pakistan had risen to more than 800.
Density-wise, the highest was observed in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), followed by Gilgit-Baltistan and Sindh, at 207 cases, 190 cases, and 156 cases per million people, respectively.
In terms of lab tests, the report indicated that there was an uptrend, with ICT leading at 6,331 tests per million people. The GB region was second at 2,312 tests per million people and Sindh third at 1,338 tests per million people.
Pakistan has carried out 212,511 coronavirus tests to date.
Further, the highest district-wise concentration of cases was reported in Karachi (24%), Lahore (23%), and Peshawar (6%).
