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Thursday March 28, 2024

PM, First Lady contract corona

The PM’s Special Assistant on Health Dr Faisal Sultan confirmed the PM’s diagnosis in a tweet saying, “PM Imran Khan has tested positive for COVID-19 and is self-isolating at home.”

By News Desk & Shahina Maqbool
March 21, 2021


ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan went into self-isolation at his Banigala residence after testing positive for coronavirus here on Saturday — merely two days after receiving his first jab of the COVID-19 vaccine. First Lady Bushra Bibi also tested positive a few hours after confirmation of the PM’s health condition.

The PM’s Special Assistant on Health Dr Faisal Sultan confirmed the PM’s diagnosis in a tweet saying, “PM Imran Khan has tested positive for COVID-19 and is self-isolating at home.”

Immediately after the official validation, however, speculations and fake news questioning the efficacy of the vaccine started circulating on all media platforms, forcing the Ministry of National Health Services to post a clarification on Twitter: “Prime Minister Imran Khan was not fully vaccinated when he contracted the virus. He only got the 1st dose and merely 2 days ago, which is too soon for any vaccine to become effective. Anti-bodies develop 2-3 weeks after the 2nd dose of the 2-dose COVID vaccine.”

Later at night, Dr Faisal shared further details in an address televised after he had interacted with the PM.

“The PM is in high spirits and an upbeat mood. He is experiencing mild symptoms and will recover soon; however, since he has tested positive, we advised him to self-isolate at home and to take rest as we continue to monitor his health and clinic parameters, and extend appropriate medical care, if needed. At the moment, he does not require any direct treatment or intervention,” the PM’s health aide told the nation.

Responding to questions and speculations associated with the timing of the PM’s illness, given that he has contracted the virus after having received his first vaccine dosage on September 18, Dr Faisal said, “To begin with, we must develop clarity about the timeframe required for any vaccine to offer protection. No vaccine is efficacious to the extent of offering instant immunity. Oftentimes, it is not until two or three weeks after the second dose that a two-dose vaccine offers protection against disease.”

Dr Faisal said, when the PM received the first shot, his immunity had not developed. “There is a possibility that he had been exposed to the virus a few days before he got his first shot,” he stated.

Asad Umar, who is steering Pakistan’s response to the pandemic from the platform of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), expressed certainty about the PM having been infected before he got vaccinated.

“Some people are questioning the efficacy of the vaccination since he (the PM) was vaccinated Thursday evening. The symptoms take a few days before manifesting. Hence, it is certain that PM had been infected PRIOR to vaccination. So please do vaccinate,” he tweeted.

Dr Faisal claimed being in touch with all those who had interacted with the PM in recent days. “Contact tracing will be done,” he said, and urged all potential carriers to self-isolate at home till they test negative. “Even though I have had two doses of the vaccine, I too will limit my engagements for a few days as the vaccine takes its time to offer protection.”

Referring to the exponential daily increase in COVID-19 cases across Pakistan as the third wave of the pandemic rages, Dr Faisal said, “The national positivity percentage has spiked to 9.5 percent, doubling over the last one week. The positivity percentage has already crossed 10 percent in some cities.”

He recommended strictest possible adherence to protective measures and standard operating procedures (SOPs); advised the public to restrict their outdoor movements; to wear masks; to maintain social distancing; to avoid crowded places; to practice frequent handwashing with soap; and to use hand sanitizers. Dr Faisal urged all citizens aged 60 years and above to register on 1166 and to get vaccinated at the earliest. “Please know that this disease is for real and cannot be taken lightly,” he added.

The PM’s spokesman Shahbaz Gill also took to Twitter in an attempt to allay public misconceptions. “Please do not link it to the corona vaccine. Immunity develops a few weeks after the vaccine is given. Make sure to vaccinate your elders and loved ones. Be careful,” he tweeted in a bid to dismiss rising public hesitancy for vaccination.

The PM’s Special Assistant on Overseas Pakistanis Zulfi Bukhari also dismissed rumours saying, “Vaccines are safe and must be taken. #PMIK had his first shot just a day ago, before which he was exposed already. Please do get yourself and loved ones vaccinated and fight fake news.”

PTI’s Senator Faisal Javed Khan sent “Lots of prayers for all who have been tested positive including PM Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi.”

Talking to this correspondent, Dr Rana Jawad Asghar, adjunct professor of epidemiology at the University of Nebraska, USA, and member of the WHO Rooster of Experts in Epidemiology and Surveillance, said, “The PM was administered inactivated virus vaccine which cannot cause disease. In an inactivated vaccine, the pathogen is killed or modified in such a way that it is unable to replicate. It cannot cause disease and is therefore suitable for those with a compromised immune system.”

He said inactivated vaccines always require multiple doses. In general, the first dose does not provide protective immunity, but “primes” the system. A protective immune response develops after the second or third dose.

According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, “It typically takes about two weeks for the body to build protection after vaccination. That means it is possible you could still get COVID-19 soon after vaccination. This is because your body has not had enough time to build protection.” Large-scale clinical studies have found that Covid-19 vaccination prevents most people from the infection.

Responding to a query, Dr Rana Jawad lamented opening up of the society including educational institutions at a time when the disease trend was very apparent.

“We are told that the NCOC makes decision on the basis of data. They knew that the positivity rate was rising in all major cities. What then prompted them to open schools, when the data demanded otherwise,” he questioned.

On a positive note, he said, even though the situation is drastic, the case count is rising, and the vaccination rate is dismal, the situation can still be controlled by following three basic SOPs, namely, 100 percent mask observance in public places and particularly in government offices; maintenance of six feet distance in indoor settings; and ensuring cross ventilation.

Dr Rana added, “If government employees are not wearing masks, you cannot expect the general public to show compliance. Secondly, fresh air is a life saver so keep your doors and windows open. We can control this spike if large gatherings—be they weddings or religious congregations—are curtailed.”

Meanwhile, fears of a third wave being more lethal came true as Pakistan’s coronavirus positivity ratio closed in on 10 percent.

As per the NCOC, Pakistan carried out 40,946 tests in the last 24 hours out of which 3,876 returned positive, taking the national positivity ratio to 9.46 percent.

With the new cases, the total number of coronavirus cases in Pakistan reached 623,135 and the active cases in the country stand at 27,188.

A breakdown of the total cases showed that 262,796 cases have been detected in Sindh, 195,087 cases in Punjab, 78,653 in KP, 19,306 in Balochistan, 50,843 in Islamabad, 4,967 in Gilgit-Baltistan, and 11,483 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

During the last 24 hours, the country lost 42 people to the deadly virus, taking the nationwide death tally to 13,799.

So far, 579,760 have recovered from the coronavirus after testing positive.

The corona positivity rate in Lahore stands at 14 percent and in Islamabad at 12.5 percent.

Meanwhile, Geo News reported that coronavirus tests of all the employees of the Prime Minister House will be undertaken after the prime minister’s diagnosis with corona.

Sources said corona tests of KP Chief Minister Mahmood Khan, Federal Communications Minister Murad Saeed, while those ministers and people who met the premier during recent days will also undergo test.

The prime minister inaugurated a housing project in Islamabad on the same day he got vaccinated (Thursday). His aide on Overseas Pakistanis Zulfi Bukhari was among the government officials attending the event. After that, Khan also met the Kuwait foreign minister. On Friday, Imran Khan had visited the Swat Motorway, where Murad Saeed and Mahmood Khan were also present.

As the news about Imran Khan contracting coronavirus spread quickly, messages of good wishes and prayers for speedy recovery started pouring in.

India´s Prime Minister Narendra Modi wished Imran Khan a "speedy recovery" from COVID-19.

"Best wishes to Prime Minister Imran Khan for a speedy recovery from COVID-19," Modi said on Twitter.

Similarly, Sri Lankan PM Mahinda Rajapaksa, said: "Wishing Prime Minister @ImranKhanPTI a speedy and full recovery! Our thoughts and prayers are with him during this time of difficulty."

The PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari wished speedy recovery for Imran Khan.

“Wishing @ImranKhanPTI a speedy recovery from COVID-19,” he tweeted.

Interior Minister Shaikh Rashid Ahmed and eminent religious scholar Maulana Tariq Jamil also prayed for the speedy recovery of Prime Minister Imran Khan.