Nearly a fourth of Covid tests positive in Hyderabad

Ag APP

PESHAWAR / ISLAMABAD: One more frontline doctor fell victim to the coronavirus on Friday, as Pakistan saw 83 Covid-19-related fatalities and 2,972 infections in a single day amid a second wave surge that has seen nearly a fourth of Covid tests coming up positive in Hyderabad.

The frontline worker, identified as Dr Muzaffar Syed, died in a Peshawar. He reportedly contracted the coronavirus infection a few weeks ago and was under treatment in the coronavirus intensive care ward of Saidu Sharif’s Teaching Hospital. Dr Syed was an endocrinology specialist and was posted as a medical officer at Civil Hospital Barikot.

The Provincial Doctors Association, Khyber Pakhtunkwa, paid tribute to Dr Syed and the other doctors lost their lives to the virus and said so far 37 doctors and more than 40 other health staff members had died of the coronavirus in the province.

The development comes as National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) data showed the national test positivity ratio at 7.59 per cent for the day, with the highest being observed in Hyderabad, which was 24.59 per cent — nearly a fourth of every test — followed by Karachi 17.71 per cent and Rawalpindi 17.21 per cent.

The positivity ratio is determined on the basis of positive cases appearing in 100 samples of Covid-19 patients.

Meanwhile, active infections stood at 42,478 after 2,972 more people tested positive for the virus during the last 24 hours. Of the 83 patients, 74 died in hospitals, 51 of which died on ventilators. Most of the deaths took place in Sindh followed by Punjab.

Some 2,988 corona patients are admitted in hospitals across the country, 2,447 of which are considered critical. At least 295 ventilators are occupied. Multan had most of its ventilators occupied at 45 per cent, followed by Islamabad 42 per cent, Peshawar 27 per cent and Lahore 34 per cent.

Oxygen beds’ occupancy was highest in Peshawar 60 per cent, Rawalpindi at 40 per cent, followed by Multan 39 per cent and Islamabad 38 per cent.