Omicron in Pakistan: Fifth COVID-19 wave may hit the country by mid February, warns health ministry

Fifth COVID-19 wave may hit Pakistan by mid-February, warns health ministry!

Transmission of the Omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 has started in Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad and there is an obvious fear of a rise in COVID-19 cases all over the country in the coming two weeks.

“Pakistan may experience the fifth wave of Covid-19 in the mid of February 2022 with daily detection of around 3,000-4,000 cases per day as community transmission of Omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 or Coronavirus has begun in the major cities of Pakistan, especially in Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad where so far 75 people were found infected with the Variant of Concern (VoC)”, notify the health official. 

The health officials have expressed their concerns as there are seven or eight labs in entire Pakistan with the capacity to detect the mutations in the virus that indicate that it is the Omicron variant.

these labs can only refer suspected cases to NIH or AKUH Karachi for whole-genome sequencing for confirmation.

And that could likely be the reason that in Pakistan we are not seeing a large number of cases of this variant of concern but it is rapidly replacing the Delta variant in Pakistan.

Citizens are advised to take precautionary measures against the COVID- 19 seriously and get their respective doses of coronavirus vaccines.

It is being reported that no commercial lab in Karachi or anywhere in the country was detecting the Omicron variant although its kit was now available in the country!