KARACHI: The Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) has sounded the alarm that the most infectious XBB.1.5 Covid sub-variant in the country has been detected through genome sequencing.
He cited ‘very good immunity’ in the general population as well as very low testing in the country behind the very low number of COVID-19 cases detected in the country.
“Yes, we have found the XBB.1.5 subtype of the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 (coronavirus) from an infected patient through genome sequencing of the virus,” an expert associated with AKU told JEE News on Monday.
The expert, who requested anonymity, said that the low testing is likely due to the fact that the country is reporting very few cases of COVID-19 and opined that those infected with the new subtype of the coronavirus Most of the people who happened weren’t happening themselves. The test was performed despite having an upper respiratory tract infection.
The National Institute of Health (NIH), Islamabad, said on Monday that the positivity rate for COVID-19 remained at 0.36 percent after 3,085 tests were conducted with only 11 people testing positive, adding that only 14 people across the country were in critical condition. Is.
Commenting on the presence of the subtype of COVID-19 in Pakistan and its impact, renowned infectious disease expert Dr. Rana Jawad Asghar said that the XBB.1.5 omicron variant is the most immune evasive subvariant so far. And it is affecting millions of people. World including Pakistan
“Fortunately, it does not cause a serious illness so most people who suffer from upper respiratory tract infections do not get tested. Dr. Rana Jawad Asghar added that people who have Most of those being tested on the basis are actually travellers, who are a healthy segment of the society so we are not getting the actual situation of Covid-19 in the country.
According to him, genome sequencing of positive cases of COVID-19 in Pakistan was very low compared to the rest of the world, claiming that only 0.5% of cases were being genome sequenced, which was very rare and unsystematic. .
Several pulmonologists (chest specialists) and general practitioners confirmed to the publication that hundreds of people from Karachi are suffering from upper respiratory tract infections every day, which they say is a high-grade fever with a flu-like condition. However, these patients were not ready to take it themselves. Tested for COVID-19, they were being advised symptomatic treatment.
Pulmonologists and general practitioners report a large number of patients with upper respiratory tract infections.
“Both COVID-19 and H1N1 are spreading rapidly across the country. But as patients are unwilling to get tested for COVID-19, they are being treated symptomatically as the majority of such patients do not require hospitalization. Hai”, a senior pulmonologist associated with a tertiary care health facility in Karachi.
Renowned infectious disease expert Dr. Faisal Mehmood believes that improved immunity in the Pakistani population due to previous infections and vaccinations was the main factor behind the low spread of the coronavirus, even though the most infectious subtype is circulating in the country.
“Immunity is high in the Pakistani population due to previous infections and vaccinations. Pakistan is among the countries where more than 95% of people are fully vaccinated while millions of people are also given booster doses,” said Dr. Mahmood. who is an infectious disease consultant. AKUH told JEE News.
According to him, testing was too low leading to undetected cases of COVID-19 but stressed that those who have been infected with COVID-19 are not developing severe disease even because of immunity. .
