PESHAWAR: The chancellor of Khyber Medical University (KMU) and Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Shah Farman visited KMU Mass Vaccination Centre and got a booster dose of Pfizer.
He praised the KMU for playing a major role in responding Covid 19 crisis. KMU Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Ziaul Haq, who is a professor of Public Health, told the governor that the KMU Public Health Ref Laboratory has a daily capacity to conduct up to 6000 PCR tests and online reporting within 24 hours. The KMU has the capacity to vaccinate around 4000 individuals daily through the drive-through vaccination centre. He apprised the chancellor that the Public Health Ref Lab does daily genomic sequencing.
As predicted now around 85 per cent of KP positive cases are of Omicron variant and further genome sequencing may not be needed for the existing variants. The vice-chancellor said luckily the risk of hospitalization for Omicron is 2/3rd lower than the previous variants but a smaller percentage of a much larger number of positive cases expected in a month time will pressurize the health system and economy of the country.
The governor and the KMU vice-chancellor urged the community to play a role in stopping the exceptionally fast spread of the Omicron through vaccination and taking booster doses for already vaccinated, avoiding unnecessary gathering, and following the SOPS of wearing masks, ensuring hand hygiene, physical distance, and well-ventilation. People who have flu-like symptoms or sore, scratchy throat should immediately self-isolate themselves till the lab confirmation.